Descendants One-Shots (Requests CLOSED)
by SparkyGurly227
Summary: One-shots about our favourite Descendants characters. More info inside. Rated T to be safe. Constructive Criticism welcome! D3 canon from chapter 113
1. Intro

**Hi guys. I have decided to write a one-shot book. I'm going to write one-shots of Descendants. It can be any of the following ships**

:

- **Bal** **(Ben x Mal)**

- **Jarlos** **(Jane x Carlos)**

 **\- Devie (Doug x Evie)**

- **Chaudrey** **(Chad x Audrey) or Chonnie (Chad x Lonnie)**

- **Jay** **x Any girl who is not Mal, Evie, Jane or Uma**

 **-Haruma (Harry x Uma)**

 **Any other pairings will be written as platonic or as an encounter between enemies.**

 **Feel free to prompt me. I love getting requests and prompts but I can't promise they'll all be done. You can request anything that isn't smut or dark topics. There may be mentions of the VKs being abused as a child but that is it. The world needs more happiness and laughter so I want to write the kind of thing that will invoke those emotions.**

 **Ta-Ta**

 **SparkyGurl**


	2. Scars (Jay x Lonnie)

Jay sat outside of the changing room while he waited for Lonnie to emerge. His callous hands were playing with his beanie, giving his hands something to do while he waited. Sitting still was difficult for him but while he was on the Isle that was a good thing because it kept him alert and able to escape the grasps of angry villains easier.

Finally, Lonnie exited the changing room, wearing her pink tracksuit and her long, silky black hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

"Hey Jay, " she greeted, pecking him on the cheek. "Let's go." she offered his hand which he took hesitantly, still a bit new to the whole relationship thing, and still not a big fan of PDA.

They made their way to the small gym, just on the side of the R.O.A.R training room, which they had booked for the day.

They warmed up a bit before doing their proper workout. When they began lifting weights, Lonnie noticed that Jay's shirt began riding up slightly, and she saw a jagged white line just above his naval disappear under his shirt.

Being ever curious she found herself speaking before she could stop herself. "What's that?"

Jay stopped. He saw where she was looking and quickly pulled down his shirt, mentally scolding himself for wearing one of his slightly too small shirts from when he was on the Isle.

"Nothing. It's nothing," he replied, looking away from her

But Lonnie didn't give up that easy. She put down her weights and approached him slowly.

"Jay." she spoke slowly, "What happened?"

Jay took a deep breath. "I told you, it's nothing."

Lonnie gave him a look. "Jay, you know I don't believe you. Is it from the Isle?"

"Dammit, Lonnie." Jay snapped. "Why do you have to poke your nose in everywhere?! Why can't you just listen?! If I say it's nothing, then I mean it's nothing!"

Lonnie backed away slightly at his tone. "I..." she didn't know what to say. She'd never heard Jay snap like that before.

Jay sighed, "Look, Lonnie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

Lonnie shook her head "No, no you're right. I shouldn't have pried."

Jay shook his head back. "No, it's understandable." He sighed again, " Come here." He gestured for her to sit on the bench with him, she did so hesitantly. "You were bound to find out someday. I'll tell you, as long as you promise not to tell a soul."

"No, Jay. You don't have to if you're not ready. I promise I won't pry anymore."

Jay shook his head and removed his beanie. "I might as well tell you. I shouldn't keep it all bottled up anymore." Jay's hand fidgeted with the hat as he looked down at it. "As long as you promise not to tell anyone. Not a soul."

Lonnie nodded. "Of course. You have my word."

Jay stared at his hands for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "My dad...he wasn't the best dad in the world. If I didn't steal enough or if I got caught, he would hit me."

Lonnie inhaled a sharp breath.

"One day I didn't manage to steal anything. My dad was so angry. He hit me until I was on the floor in pain."

A tear formed in Lonnie's eyes. She quickly wiped it away and kept looking intently at Jay, who was still looking at the floor.

"When I fell, I accidentally took a shelf of things with me. One of the pirate's hooks was on that shelf. It caught me in the stomach and ripped through it. Not deep enough to be fatal but deep enough to scar. Especially due to the lack of doctors there. My dad left me there. Said it would make me stronger if I learnt how to take care of myself. I managed somehow."

Lonnie gasped. "Oh...Jay." Tears were now falling freely down her face. "How awful."

Jay looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "It's okay. It did make me stronger and it made me who I am today." He grabbed Lonnie's hand with his own and used his other to wipe her tears away. "Life on the Isle was tough. But it's part of who I am."

Lonnie threw her arms around him and cried silently into his shoulder. "I can't believe you had to go through that. You are so brave."

Jay wrapped his arms around her waist and held her while she cried the tears he was never allowed to.

Finally, she pulled back and wiped her tears away. "How do you cope?"

Jay shrugged. "I was forced to. I couldn't be weak." He smiled at her. "Thank you." He said suddenly.

"For what?" Lonnie asked, confused. "For being a complete mess?"

Jay laughed. "For being there." He replied. "And for asking about the scar. I needed to tell someone. I'm glad it was you."

"I'm glad you told me too." Lonnie smiled at him. She hugged him again and they sat there for a while, just enjoying each others company.

 **Okay, I know Jay acted nothing like what most victims of child abuse act like but I didn't want to make this too dark. I hope I did okay. I did my best.**

 **Thank you to those who requested Jay x Lonnie and you who suggested the scars thing. I hope I did this justice.**

 **Buh-bye!**

 **Sparkygurl**


	3. Sick (Mal x Ben)

Ben walked down the hall to the girl's dorm with a smile on his face. He'd had a long week filled with meetings and others kingly duties. Now that he finally had a few hours to spare, he was planning on taking Mal out on a surprise date. He reached Mal and Evie's door and knocked lightly. He smiled brightly as the handle turned and the door began to open. However, his smile dropped slightly when the door didn't open much further than a crack and it was Evie's eye peering out.

"Ben?" she asked surprised, opening the door slightly so he could see her face. "What are you doing here? Mal did mention you had a date."

"I was hoping to surprise her. I just got a few hours to spare so I wanted to spend some time with her. Is she here?"

Evie glanced back into the room before turning back to Ben. "Uh...no...she's out."

Ben was mildly surprised. "Oh, doing what?"

Evie glanced back into the room again. "Uh...you know...stuff?"

Ben narrowed his eyes at Evie. "Evie, what's going on? Is Mal okay?" He tried to look past her into the room but she was in the way.

"Nothing!" she said too quickly. "She's fine. She just had a...emergency council meeting?"

Ben gave Evie a look. Evie sighed in defeat and stepped out, closing the door before he could look inside.

"Seriously, Ben. It's nothing that Mal can't handle. She's just been feeling a bit under the weather." Evie explained. "But, you know Mal. She doesn't want people to think she's weak because if she is, she'll think she's no good as a Lady of the Court."

"That's not true. She's a brilliant Lady of the Court. No one thinks she's weak."

"I know that and you know that but Mal was raised by Maleficent. She wasn't even allowed her full name because she wasn't bad enough. She wasn't allowed to be weak."

"But she's not weak. Everyone gets ill once in a while." Ben reasoned.

"Yeah, you try telling that to her." Evie said. "Look, just leave Ben. She doesn't want you to see her like this."

"If she's ill, I want to take care of her. She's my girlfriend. I'm supposed to do things like that."

"Again, try telling that to Mal." Evie said, gesturing to the door.

"Evie, you look exhausted." Ben replied softly. "Go take a break, and I'll look after her. Just for a few hours."

Evie looked reluctant. "You know that she'll probably kill me right?"

Ben shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll tell I forced you. King's orders."

Evie sighed. "On your head be it. Although, it would be nice to go spend some time with Doug." And with that, Evie departed.

Ben approached the door and slowly opened it.

"Is he gone?" asked a raspy voice, from Mal's bed.

"If you mean me, then no." Ben replied, with a slight smile.

Mal turned over in bed and looked at him in shock. She was paler than normal, and her purple hair was dishevelled. Her lips were chapped and droplets of sweat covered her face.

"Ben." She said, coughing slightly as she tried to sit up. "What are you doing here? Where's Evie? I told her-" she was cut off by a loud hacking cough. "-not to let you in."

Ben approached the bed and sat down at Mal's feet. "I told Evie to take a break. I said I'd take care of you."

Mal shook her head. "I'm fine." She coughed again. "I don't need taking care of."

Ben raised his eyebrow at her. "Yeah you do. Come here." he put the back of his hand on her forehead. She shied away from his touch but he managed to press his hand onto her head.

"Mal, your burning up. Hold on."

He got up, despite her protests that she was fine, and quickly went into the bathroom. He found bowl and filled it up with cold water. He also grabbed a small cloth and brought it back to Mal. He soaked the towel in the water and rung it out until it was only damp and placed it on her burning forehead. Mal grumbled as he did so, complaining that she was fine.

Ben ignored her and used another cloth to mop up the beads of sweat that were dropping down her face.

"I'm fine, Ben, you honestly don't ha-" She suddenly stopped and grabbed the bin next to her bed, vomiting violently into it. Ben held her hair out the way and rubbed her back soothingly in circles. When she was done she leant back into her pillows and closed her eyes. "Okay, so I'm a little sick."

Ben couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah. Just a little."

Mal curled up under the blankets, shivering. This concerned Ben as she was sweating just minutes earlier. He grabbed the purple blanket that was lying on the floor, most likely because Mal got too hot, and placed it over his little dragon. She grabbed it and wrapped it around her tighter before drifting off to sleep. Ben watched her for about an hour, regularly replacing the cloth on her forehead, hoping to break the fever. He was just removing the cloth when Mal opened her eyes.

"Hey, dragon. How are you feeling?"

Mal tried to smile but suddenly had a coughing fit. When she removed her hand from her mouth, there was blood in it.

Ben immediately sprang into action, scooping her up in his arms and rushing out the door.

"Where are we-" she coughed again violently, more blood coming out. "Where are we going?"

"I'm getting you to hospital." He said firmly, tightening his grip around her.

Mal shook her head. "Please no. I'm fine." She coughed again.

Ben didn't listen and carried her out of the building, heading to the limo. He was lucky enough to see one of the drivers there, just about to leave.

"Stop!" Ben yelled at him. "I need to get to the hospital, as fast as possible."

The driver nodded, helping him put Mal gently in the vehicle. Mal eyes began to close as they drove off. Ben felt her head. She was burning up even more than Ben thought was possible.

"Stay with me, Mal. Don't you dare close your eyes." Ben said frantically. The driver drove to the hosptal as fast as he could and they made it very quickly. Ben scooped Mal back into his arms and ran into the emergency room.

"Someone help! Please!" Ben yelled as he barged through the door. Doctors and nurses immediately came rushing over, taking Mal from Ben and rushing her to a hospital room. Ben tried to follow but one of the nurses made him sit down.

"There is nothing you can do for her, your Majesty. You'd just be in the way. Let the doctors do their job."

Ben sat down and watched the doctors take his true love away. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to the other three villain kids about what happened, knowing they have a right to know what happened to their sister first. He then texted his dad to let him know that he wasn't going to be able to make it to any other meeting today. A few minutes after he sent his dad the text Jay, Carlos and Evie ran in. They rushed up to Ben and all began talking at once.

"Is she okay?"

"What happened?"

"Where is she?"

Ben shook his head, looking broken and on the verge of tears.

"I don't know. She just suddenly got really ill and was coughing up blood. She was burning up so much, I honestly thought she was about to burst into flames."

Evie, Jay and Carlos exchanged scared looks and sat down next to Ben. They stayed in the waiting room for what felt like hours. Ben began pacing, Evie flipped through magazines to distract herself but didn't really look at them, Jay sat twisting and playing with his beanie and Carlos was bouncing his legs up and down. A doctor eventually came for them but told them only one at a time. The VK's told Ben to go first. He walked quickly to the room where Mal was and what he saw made his heart break.

Mal was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to multiple machines and tubes. Her mouth was covered by an oxygen mask. Shakily, Ben sat down in a chair near the bed.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, looking at the doctor who had come in with him.

"She has a disease that only faeries can catch. It's not known what causes it but it is deadly to them. You're lucky you got her in when you did. We're guessing she's only survived because she's half faerie. She may be comatose for a while."

Ben nodded vaguely, staring at his little dragon as she lay there. It killed him to see her like this. "Will she make it?"

The doctor looked at him sadly. "We're doing everything we can. She may make it but we can't say at this point."

Ben nodded again. "She'll make it. She's strong."

The doctor smiled at him, "I'm sure she is, your Majesty." And with that, the doctor left, leaving Ben and Mal alone.

Ben reached out and placed his large hand over her small one. "Don't leave me Mal." he whispered, a few tears slipping out of his eyes, "Don't leave me." He picked up her hand gently and pressed his lips to it. "You can't leave me."

He watched her for about ten minutes before getting up so that her siblings could come in and see her. He walked out to the waiting room to see his parents were there.

Belle and Evie rushed up to him.

"How is she?" Evie asked. Ben just shook his head and that was enough for Evie to go rushing to Mal's room.

Belle cupped her son's face in her hands. "We're so sorry we couldn't come earlier. The council was furious that you weren't there. Oh, Ben. What happened?"

Ben sat down and told them what happened and what the doctor told him. By the end, his tears were streaming freely down his face and his mother had embraced him, rubbing his back.

Evie came back after some time and told them that they were allowed to go in but no more than four. Belle wiped away some of Ben's tears then gestured him to go. Adam gave Ben an encouraging smile and put his arm around his wife who was crying as well. Ben, Jay, Carlos and Evie all went in together.

They stood around Mal's bed, no one saying anything just looking, waiting for her to wake up. But she didn't. They went home because visiting hours were over, but they all came back at visiting hours the next day and the next. But she still didn't wake up. She didn't react when they talked to her, she didn't move when Ben watched her, she didn't make a sound when Evie talked to her about the latest gossip, she didn't even so much as twitch when Carlos and Jay told her all about the game she missed. This went on for a week, two weeks when finally, she did.

Ben was sitting with her, tellling her about the latest council meeting which had ended in a lot of anger because people were fed up of Ben being slightly absent minded with worry. He was holding Mal's hand running his thumb over the back of it. At first, he thought he imagined it but no, there it was again. Her thumb moved. Stroking his hand. He looked up at her face to see her eyes flutter open.

"Mal!" He exclaimed in happiness. "You're awake!"

Mal smiled, coughing slightly. "You can't get rid of me that easy." her voice was raspy and weak but to Ben it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

Ben laughed. "Well thank goodness for that." he smiled as he kissed her hand again. The doctor walked in to do the routiine checks when he saw that his patient was awake, looking lovingly at the king, who was sat next to her, smiling brighter than the sun.

"Miss Faerie. You're awake." To say he was shocked was an understatement. He honestly thought that she wasn't going to make it and was prepared to tell the King that. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible. Like someone dumped a ton of bricks on my head, punched me in the stomach with a bulldozer and poured a box full of sandpaper down my throat."

The doctor smiled. "After what you've been through, that is not surprising. Let me do some checks, then you may be able to leave in a few weeks."

Ben was required to leave while the doctors did the checks but he was in the next day, an ecstatic Evie right behind him. Mal was only allowed two visitors at a time so Carlos and Jay agreed to wait for a bit while they talked to her.

After a week Mal was allowed to leave but she had to take lots of medication and wasn't allowed to any heavy lifting for six weeks and had bed rest for two of them. She was allowed to go back to school as soon as those two weeks were over.

The day after she returned home, Ben knocked on the girls dorm door carrying a basket and wearing a smile.

"It's open!" Mal's beautiful voice came. Ben walked in and sat down next to his girlfriend.

"How's my little dragon?" he asked, kissing her on the head.

"Bored. I'd rather be in a council meeting." she groaned.

Ben laughed. "Wow. And that's just after one day home. Well, I brought something to make it all better."

Mal raised her eyebrows, "Oh?" she asked, a small smile tugging on her lips.

Ben placed the basket on the bed and opened it. "I thought we could have a picnic. In your bedroom. Because you know, you can't leave your bed unless absolutey nessecary."

Mal laughed. "I love it." she leaned over a placed a gentle kiss on Ben's lips. "But if you didn't bring strawberry's I'm kicking you out."

Ben let out a chuckle. "Good thing I brought them, then." He said, pulling them out the basket.

Mal grabbed the bowl and immediantly put one in her mouth. She swallowed it before putting the bowl to the side and kissed Ben again. "Thank you." she said.

"Well they are your favourite. Did you really think I'd forget?"

Mal laughed. "No, no. Well, yes thanks for the strawberries. But thank you. For believing in me. Believing that I was strong enough. I may have been in a coma but I could hear what was going around me. You never stopped believing in me."

"And I never will." Ben replied, grabbing her hand. "I love you Mal."

Mal smiled at him, "I love you too."

"Just try not to nearly die again okay?"

Mal laughed. "I'll try." she kissed Ben one more time before grabbing the picnic basket. "Now, I'm hungry, what else have you brought?"

Ben smiled as his girlfriend pulled out various foods and lay them out on the bed.

They spent the rest of the day together, Ben refusing to leave Mal's side and Mal being totally okay with that.

 **Voila. Thank you to the lovely person who requested Mal getting sick. I hope I did it justice. Keep requesting. Love you guys.**

 **Bye!**

 **Sparkygurl**


	4. Together (Mal x Ben)

The sunlight streamed into the small dorm room through the thin pink curtains that hung by the large windows. As the light danced across the room it gave it a golden glow. It softly crept up onto the beds and soon had light up the entire room where a blue haired princess and a purple haired faerie slept. The princess opened her beautiful brown eyes and glanced across the room as she sat up. It was a lovely Saturday morning and the birds were chirping outside. She gracefully got out of bed and slipped on her slippers and dressing gown before gathering her things to go change in the bathroom.

The faerie on the other hand groaned when the light hit her face. She grabbed the corners of her duvet and pulled it up over her to block out the light. It was Saturday so why didn't nature just let her sleep. She poked her head out from under the cover and glared at the curtains.

"A fat lot of use you are." she grumbled, as she normally would if she was woken up by the sun. She turned over to check the time to see it was seven in the morning. Did those birds never sleep? She groaned again and buried her face in her pillow. She pulled the duvet back over her and snuggled into it with no intention of getting out of bed.

Evie walked back into the room, wearing a lapis blue a-line dress, with a little golden strap around the waist. She had her hair back in a bun, which was her usual pre hair and make-up style, and her pajamas and dressing gown draped over her forearm. She carefully hung the dressing gown up and placed her pajamas under her pillow.

"Morning Mal." her ever-cheery voice rang out as she turned her head towards the purplette before sitting down in front of the mirror to start doing her make-up.

Mal grumbled in reply.

"Oh don't be like that. It's a beautiful day." Evie said brightly.

Mal groaned. She hated mornings. Yes, she had been in Auradon for nearly a year and was used to the sun coming in and Evie being an early riser but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Evie put down her make-up brush and turned to Mal. "Mal. Get up. Don't you and Ben have things to do?"

Mal groaned again, louder this time. She didn't mind being a Lady of the Court but still. She'd much rather stay in bed or do art.

"And you have the afternoon off." Evie said in a sing-song voice before going back to her make-up.

Mal's head perked up, instantly awake. "We do?"

Evie nodded, not looking at Mal. "Yep. Today he hasn't got much paperwork left and all that needs to be done this afternoon is the arangements for the new Isle kids and I can do that by myself."

"But," Mal began as she sat up, "That's a lot of work."

Evie shook her head. "Not really. It's the room arangements and Remedial Goodness class seating plan. We don't want any major rivalries like last time so I have to make sure there isn't. But aside from that, there's nothing else to do."

Mal smiled. "So we have the whole afternoon to what we want?"

Evie nodded again. "Yep. As long as you're up and dressed soon because otherwise any work you have to do may go into the afternoon."

That got Mal out of bed fast. She and Ben didn't get much time to be alone together anymore, between always having this meeting and that ceremony to go to or having to do a mountain of paperwork or trying to organise events such as new Isle kids arriving. To have a whole afternoon to themselves was like a dream come true. If they could avoid the paparazzi that is.

Within fifteen minutes, Mal was dressed and ready to go down to breakfast. She smoothed out her violet shirt-dress before waving good-bye to Evie who was just about done with her make-up and moving on to her hair. Evie waved back with one hand, the other hand holding a curler.

Mal walked down to cafeteria as quickly and gracefully as she could. When she got there, she spotted Ben sitting down at one of the tables at the far end, eating a bowl of oatmeal by himself. Mal grab a bowl of strawberries and a slice of toast with strawberry jam before heading over her favourite person.

"Hey." the faerie said, as she sat down next to him.

Ben smiled at his girlfriend and echoed her words before giving her quick peck on the lips.

"So," Mal began, pulling the stalk off one of the strawberries. "I hear we get the whole afternoon to ourselves. Is there a reason I didn't know this until this morning?"

Ben grinned, slightly embarrassed "Well I was hoping to surprise you but I'm guessing Evie had to use that to get you out of bed this morning."

Mal laughed. "You know me so well. It's a little scary sometimes. I like that."

Ben chuckled. "I guess you could say that I know you so well because, " he leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear. " _my love for you is ridiculous_." he sang quietly.

Mal blushed and laughed, pushing him a way gently. "You are such a dork." she said, giggling.

Ben grinned a goofy grin back. "Yeah, but I'm your dork."

Mal placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it lovingly with her thumb. "Yeah you are." she said, before leaning in and kissing him.

Ben kissed back briefly before pulling back slowly. "The meeting starts in fifteen minutes. Eat up or we'll be late."

Mal quickly ate her toast while Ben finished his oatmeal, and grabbed a few strawberries to take on the go. She ate them slowly on the way, wanting to savour their amazing taste. Apparently Ben was thinking something a long the same lines and stole on from her before popping it in his mouth with a grin. Mal, who had her mouth and hands both full of strawberries, just glared at him. Ben smirked and pecked her cheek.

The rest of the morning went by slowly. Mal tried to participate in the council meeting but she didn't really have much to contribute so spent a lot of the time looking at the clock. Half past eight. Quater to nine. Ten to nine. The meeting felt like it dragged on forever. Nine o'clock. Five past nine. If anyone had told her a year ago that she'd be a Lady of the Court and would spend a lot of her time wearing dresses and staring at the clock, hoping that time would past faster so that she could spend time with a boy, she would have laughed in their faces and put them on top of her hit list for evil deeds.

Finally, at twenty-five to ten, the meeting adjorned and everyone got up and left. Ben took Mal's hand as they stood up.

"What have we go left to do?" Mal asked, as she entwined their fingers.

"Well, I have a few papers to go over and we have an opening of a new library to attend to at eleven."

"Another one?" Mal asked, slightly exsaperated. "Ugh. Why is it always libraries?"

"It's mom. You never have enough libraries in her opinion. Anyway this one is meant to hold all the stories of villains so that the new VK's can learn a bit more about what their parents did from a hero's perspective."

"So that they can understand why they were put on the Isle?" Mal inquired.

Ben nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, let's get to it shall we?" Mal said, "Do I need to put something slightly more formal on?"

Ben shook his head. "Just put a blazer over that, you'll be fine."

Mal nodded. "Okay. I'll get Evie to bring me one. Now," she said as they approached his office, "Let's get that paperwork done."

They greeted Debrah and walked inside his office. It wasn't a massive office as neither Adam nor Ben thought a big one was necessary. The desk was at the back of the room just in front of a window and the chair behind the desk was facing away from it. The window itself was large and there was a window seat covered in blue cusions. The curtains were also blue with golden designs on them. On the brick wall that faced the door was a fire place and above the fireplace was a portrat of Ben wearing his coronation clothes. Under that, on the mantel piece were various pictures of his parents, his friends and Mal. Mainly Mal. Mal smiled and lightly touched one that was taken just after cotillion, both of them soaking wet and cold, Ben had his arms wrapped around her from behind and Mal was leaning her head back into his chest, her hands on top of his with a satisfied look in her face, his ring on her finger glinting in the low lights that were strung across the boat. Ben's crown was sitting crookedly on his head and he was smiling brighter than anyone would have thought possible.

Mal smiled at the memory and turned around to see Ben already sitting behind his desk, working hard so that they could have more time together. Mal pulled up a chair and grabbed some of the paperwork that she could do without having to constantly need Ben. By the time Debrah told them it was time to go to the opening, they had just about finished their paperwork and Evie had already dropped off a black blazer for Mal to wear to the event.

The opening went by rather quickly. Ben made a short speech and cut the ribbon. Ben and Mal agreed to hang around for a bit and get something to eat at the buffet table before going off on their own as they didn't want to seem rude. So they went off and mingled among Ben's royal subjects. Ben checked his watch multiple times between conversations to see if it was appropriate to leave yet. Once it was finally a good time, Ben excused himself from a conversation with one of the dukes and went off to find Mal, who turned out to be actually inside the library, talking to all the villain kids, especially the ones from the Anti-hero society.

He approached them and greeted Hadie and Yzla before wrapping his arm around Mal's waist. "Ready to go?" he whispered,

Mal nodded. "Just let me go say goodbye to Claudine. She's going to Notre Dame to visit Quasimodo so I won't see her for a while."

Finally after goodbyes were said, Ben and Mal headed back to Auradon Prep.

"So..." Mal began as they walked back to her dorm, "What's the plan?"

Ben smiled. "Not telling. But first, why don't you go get changed and put something else on."

"Dress or trousers?" Mal asked.

"Whatever you find most comfortable. Although trousers would be more pratical."

Mal nodded her understanding. Ben dropped her off at her dorm and went to his own to slip into something more comfortable than the suit he was wearing.

Twenty minutes later, Mal and Ben were racing each other on their bikes down an empty road. Ben won as Mal wasn't quite as experienced as he was on a bike. He whooped as he came to a stop at the end of the road. Mal laughed, skidding to a stop next to him.

"Yeah, yeah. You beat me. Again."

"You'd think after six months you'd have learned how to keep up by now." Ben said jokingly

Mal raised her eyebrows. "Oh, so that's how it is, is it? Well who knows. Maybe I just let you win because you're so cute when you win." She said the last bit in a baby-voice, looking up at him innocently.

Ben leaned down slightly, chuckling "Sure, let's go with that." he said before pecking her on the lips and starting up the bike again. "Come on, not much further." Mal followed suit and they drove on for another five minutes before Ben parked his bike, Mal following suit. They were parked at the base of a tall mountain which seemed to stretch into the sky for miles. Lushes green trees dotted the slightly rocky terrain, and the smell of nature filled Mal's nose.

Ben adjusted his backpack slightly before taking Mal's hand. "How does a hike sound?" he asked.

"Well it'd be rude to say terrible now that we're here." Mal joked. "It sounds great. As long as I don't find myself hanging of the edge of a cliff this time."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, that wasn't a good time for any of us, seeing as you lot were on the Isle and I had to deal with Madam Mim."

Mal smiled at him. "Still. We made it out alive."

Ben nodded seriously. "Yeah. Okay!" he said suddenly cheerier, "That's enough talking about the bad times. Let's go enjoy some good times, shall we?"

Mal nodded and they set off, climbing the mountain via a narrow walking path, most likely designed for goats. Mal was glad she decided to wear a t-shirt and jeans because climbing a mountain in a dress is not a good idea. They walked for the most part but some times it did require using their hands and properly climbing it. After some time, they stopped briefly. Ben pulled two metal water bottles out of his bag, one blue with the Auradon crest on it and one purple with Mal's dragons on it. Ben handed Mal her water bottle and they sat down on the ground, looking out towards the horizon. Mal put her head on his shoulder while they silently sipped their water, and Ben wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I miss this." Mal said suddenly, looking up at Ben. "Just the two of us, free from the pressure and worries that come with running the country."

Ben laughed, "Just wait until you're Queen. Then you'll see just how hetic this life can be."

Mal blushed deeply at his first statement. "W-what?"

It took Ben a second to realise what he said and he blushed too. "Not right now, obviously but soon. I mean we have to finish school first and-"

Mal put a finger over his mouth to shush him. Ben stared at her with his wide eyes.

"I know what you mean Ben. It just took me by surprise. That's all. I just hope that wasn't you proposing." she said with a slight smirk.

Ben shook his head. "Nah, if I was going to propose I'd probably do it with a marching band just after a tourney game. _Because my love for you is ridiculous._ " He sang at her. Mal blushed again and laughed.

"Ah, but see, my boyfriend has allready done that. You may have to step it up a bit." Mal said jokingly.

"You have a boyfriend? He must be one lucky man." Ben joked back.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" she replied. Genuine curiosity could be heard benath her joking tone of voice.

"Well, let's see." he smiled, looking out to the horizon. "You're smart, funny, talented, absolutely gorgeous and _did i mention that I'm in love with you?_ "

Mal went bright red. "You're never going to stop singing that song are you?"

"Nope. _And did I mention that there's nothing I can do._ "

" _And did I happen to say that I dream of you everyday._ " Mal sang back at him.

" _But let me shout it out loud if that's okay, hey hey, if that's okay._ "

They both burst into laughter.

"I can't believe you still remember that song." Mal said once they calmed down.

Ben smiled at her, "How could I forget it? It's the song I used to win the heart of the most beautiful girl I know."

Mal went bright red and shook her head, laughing slightly. "You're such a dork." She looked up at him, "But you're my dork."

"Yeah, I am." he said with a goofy smile on his face. He leaned in to kiss her but she dodged him last second, getting up.

"We've had a pretty long break. Come on, let's get to the top of this mountain."

Ben pouted but got up. They began walking and Ben grabbed Mal's hand and pecked her on the cheek before speeding up a bit and walking in front of her, helping her up a slightly steep bit. They continued up the mountain for a while. At one point Mal slipped and nearly fell but Ben caught before she did. Mal had to hold on to him for a few seconds, while he stroked her back and whispered comforting words in her ear before they continued. They had a few more short breaks on their way up and goofed around a lot.

It was this sort of thing that made Mal happy she left the Isle and that her siblings had convinced her to come back. If she had gone back, she wouldn't be spending time with this amazing man who was helping her up a mountain, randomly hugging her from behind when they stop for a break and stealing kisses whenever he got the chance. She was brought up being taught that love was weak and pathetic but Ben had taught her different. He showed her how amazing it was and he was so right. She can't imagine ever being with anyone else.

"Mal?" Ben's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"Sorry, what?" she asked

Ben smiled, "I was just saying that we're nearly there. What were you thinking about?"

Mal shrugged. "Nothing in particular. This and that."

"You seemed pretty deep in thought. Anything on your mind you want to talk about?"

Mal shook her head. "I'm fine. Come on. Race you to the top." She began up the mountain again, occasionaly using her hands to steady herself, Ben following, steadying her from behind.

They eventually made it to , smiling and sweaty faced, laughing. Mal collapsed on the ground, breathing hard.

Ben stood above her laughing.

"Join me Beasty Boy. " Mal said, patting the ground next to her.

Ben complied and lay next to her, putting his arm around his girlfriend. Mal snuggled into him, sighing contently, watching the white, fluffy clouds slowly make their way over the vast blue sky.

"I had fun today." she said, looking up at him. Ben nodded.

"Me too. I could stay in this moment forever."

Mal agreed with him. And stay there they did. Not forever obviously, but for the rest of the afternoon, leaving when they decided it get too dark to go down a mountain if t they didn't get moving. But that didn't bother them too much. They were together, and that's all that mattered.

 **I genuinely have no idea why it got this long. The intention was to send Mal and Ben on a date and have Ben be a bit of a dork. Thank you Evan Roberts for suggesting that. However as you can see, I got a bit carried away. I love this couple so much I just couldn't stop writing. It was so much fun to write.**

 **Keep leaving prompts. I love recieving them.**

 **Bye**

 **SparkyGurl**


	5. Lovebirds (Carlos x Jane)

The school was buzzing with chatter and laughter as students hanging around campus talked about the latest gossip or how their day was. The cheer squad were all heading away from the tourney field and into the changing rooms, all giggling and congratulating each other on the good practice. One of these girls was a small brunette with blue eyes. She was fairly new to the squad, only been part of it for a few months but the girls had accepted her as one of them quite quickly. She was unsure whether to try out at first as she was originally just a mascot but a certain someone convinced her to try out. And boy was she glad she did. She'd become a great asset to the team and her confidence had boosted sky high ever since.

She quickly changed out of her cheer outfit into her baby blue old fashioned dress that had a long sleeved square bodice and a ruffled skirt. On the hem of the dress was a small, pink bow. She slipped on her matching baby blue, two-inch heels and let down her hair so that it flowed down her back, leaving the thin headband on. She grabbed her book bag and slipped it over her shoulder before bidding her friends goodbye and leaving.

She found herself going towards the picnic area that sat behind the castle that was the school. She sat down on a bench under a large oak tree and pulled a book from her book bag that she needed to study for class.

"Cinderella?" a voice that she knew very well asked after some time. "Don't you have that story memorised by now?"

Jane looked up at the newcomer with a smile. "I have a test in history next week. Just want to make sure I haven't missed any important details that may turn up in the test. I mean I'm sure that I've got all the important ones memorised but you never know and of course, I don't want to fail this test so I thought I should just make sure because you never know!

Carlos sat down next to her and put his hand over one of hers to calm her down. "You'll do amazing Jane. There is no way you could ever fail anything."

Jane blushed and smiled at the white-haired boy next to her. "Thanks, Carlos."

"You sure ramble a lot." another voice broke through. Carlos clasped his hand over his dog's muzzle.

"Dude! I've said this before and I'll say it again, just because you can talk doesn't mean you always should."

Jane laughed and reached over to stroke Dude, putting her book down on her lap. "It's alright. I know I have a tendency to ramble when I'm nervous or excited."

"You have nothing to be nervous about," Carlos said, looking at her in the eye. "You are so smart. You could pass any test set in front of you. Also, Cinderella is basically your mom's story. You probably got that as a bedtime story."

Jane laughed again. "Yeah. With the whole bibbidi bobbidi boo scene done for me in real life on a miniature scale."

"No way," Carlos laughed.

"Oh, believe it. I used to love it as a child. Magic has always been something I was fascinated by."

"And now you have your own."

Jane shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah. Unfortunate that I find that out _after_ magic was banned."

Carlos patted her hand, a small smile on his face. "Still. It's pretty cool."

"Careful, or I might accidentally turn something into a kiddie pool." Jane joked. Both of them laughed.

"So how's your day been?" Jane asked.

"He fell in tourney practice." Dude piped up.

"Dude!" Carlos said blushing, rounding on the dog.

Jane giggled. "I was there, remember? Speaking of, you didn't hurt yourself, did you? I was going to check on you but you got up pretty quickly."

Carlos nodded. "Nothing bruised but my pride."

Jane smiled and took his hand. "Well, that's good."

Carlos smiled back and just stared at her beautiful face. Blue eyes met brown and they just got lost in each other's eyes. After a while, Jane broke eye contact by turning her head and laying it on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Carlos continued to stare at his girlfriend, as though he was trying to memorize every inch of her face. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, letting his finger lightly trace cheek as he slowly pulled it away. Jane opened her eyes and smiled at him before leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"Hey did you know Carlos was afraid of me when he first met me? Screamed like a girl and ran up a tree."

Both Jane and Carlos turned to Dude, Carlos glaring and Jane raising her eyebrows, both a little peeved at the interruption.

"Dude. Seriously," Carlos said exasperatedly. "What is up with you today?"

"I'm bored." He explained, standing on his hind legs briefly before going back onto all fours.

Carlos rubbed his face. "Okay, I'll take you for a walk then. Not a long one though. I have homework."

"I can do it." Jane volunteered. "I love taking care of animals."

"Would you?" he asked, thankful. "Thank you so much. You're amazing." He kissed her on the cheek before heading off.

"You're welcome!" she called after him, waving at his retreating back. She then turned to Dude. "Well, let's go then." She stood up and began walking, Dude following her.

They talked throughout the whole walk, mainly about Carlos as he was something they had in common. Jane learned a few things about him that she didn't know before like he had a cat called Beelzebub back in the Isle and that he also broke the barrier at one point. They headed back to the school after about an hour and a half.

Jane knocked on the door. A soft "Come in." was heard and so Jane opened the door to see Cruella's son sitting at his desk, wrapped in a blanket, typing away on his laptop. He only ever did that if he was seriously concentrating as she had learned from Dude so she approached him slowly.

"Hey." She said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "What are you working on so hard?"

Carlos leaned his head back briefly before continuing typing. "A silly essay for English. It's a little frustrating but I'm almost done."

Jane rubbed his shoulder through the blanket sympathetically. "You'll get there."

Carlos nodded absent-mindedly, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Thanks for taking Dude by the way. You were gone for a while."

Jane shrugged. "We were having fun. I've always loved dogs."

Carlos smiled. "Wish I could say the same. And. I'm. Done." he said, typing the final words into his essay. "That'll do." He saved and printed the document before putting it in his English book and shutting his laptop down. He turned to Jane, a smile on his face.

"Well done. And yeah. Dude told me you used to be a cat person. Which is something I find hard to believe."

"Ah. Beelzebub. Yeah, he was one of Lucifer's litter. I got him when I was five at Evie's sixth birthday party."

Jane looked at him a little surprised. "You guys got pets? Like in a goodie-bag or something?"

"Baddie-bag but yeah. I think we got pets because they really wanted it to be the best party ever and probably to rub it in Mal's face."

"Mal? What do you mean?"

"Oh, this is going to be a long story. Not sure if you want to hear it."

Jane shook her head. "No please. Tell me. I mean you never really talk about the Isle and it's such a big part of your life, and I know nothing about it so I feel like I don't really know you that well. But I mean, if you don't want me to know, that's okay too."

Carlos twisted his hands together. "Is that really how you feel? Like you don't really know me?"

Jane shrugged. "I know who you are now just not who you were. But I understand if you don't want to talk."

Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if I have changed that much actually but I think...I think that maybe I could tell you another day. I don't know if I can right now. I 'd probably have to mentally prepare myself for a few days before I do tell you."

Jane's face suddenly fell and she wrapped her arms around him. Carlos wrapped his arms around her waist and held her there for a while. Jane rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and his head was on top of hers.

"How weird is it that the Isle kids had pets but you weren't even allowed so much as a hamster?" Dude broke in.

Carlos pulled back from the hug glaring at Dude. "Okay, seriously, one more interruption and you're sleeping on the floor without your bed."

Dude whimpered and quickly went over to his bed, lying on it protectively. Carlos shook his head and removed his arms from Jane who removed hers reluctantly.

Carlos stood still in thought for a bit before suddenly asking, "Have you seriously never had a pet before? Also, how did Dude know this?"

Jane smiled shyly. "Uh, yeah. Mom said we didn't have time. Seeing as she's headmistress and all."

Carlos' eyes lighted up a bit but Jane being the slightly oblivious girl she is didn't notice.

"Hey, want to go out tomorrow?" he asked.

Jane looked confused at the random question. "Why? Has the group made plans to go out?"

"No, no I mean just you and me."

Jane blushed. "Oh, right. Of course," she replied embarrassed. "Yeah, I'd love to."

Carlos smiled giddily. "Great," he said. "Want to go to dinner together?"

Jane nodded. Carlos grabbed her hand and lead her to the cafeteria where they found their friends already eating so they joined them. They talked and laughed together for an hour before people began departing, Ben and Mal having Royal duties, Lonnie needing to rehearse dance for an upcoming competition, Jordan claiming she was bored and needed to do something for her web show, Evie had an appointment for a dress-fitting and she needed Doug to help her with some numbers. One by one they left, eventually leaving Freddie, Ally, Jane, Carlos and Jay. That didn't last long however as Jay decided that they needed plenty of sleep as it was practice tomorrow. Jane, Ally and Freddie stayed for a little longer before heading back to their own dorms.

The next day arrived, sun shining and birds chirping. Jay and Carlos had an early morning practice but the cheer squad didn't so Jane slept in a little while before getting up and getting ready for her date with Carlos. She put on a sky blue sheath dress, a pair of tan open toed heels and a simple necklace which was a chain with a little golden bow charm. Once she was satisfied with her outfit, she brushed her hair and left it down. She went to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast and talked to a few people before heading back to her dorm to wait for Carlos, who said he'd pick her up from her dorm once he finished tourney practice. She decided to study for the history test. She was just hitting the end of the ball that Cinderella went to when there was a knock on the door. Jane smiled and quickly went to open the door, a big smile on her face. Carlos stood there, a smile on his face as well.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." she replied.

"You look beautiful." Carlos said. Jane blushed and thanked him. Carlos extended his hand to her, which she took, entwining their fingers.

"So, where are we going?" Jane asked curiously, as they walked out of the Auradon Prep gates.

"Just thought we could walk around town together. Maybe look in a few shops or something. Just spend time together. Is that okay?" he asked a bit nervously. Jane nodded, smiling.

"That sounds perfect." she replied, squeezing his hand.

Carlos grinned and squeezed her hand back. He was a little nervous, even though they'd been going out for a while, he was always afraid he'd do something wrong and mess everything up completely. Jane was one of the best things that had ever happened to him, if not the best. She was so amazing. She was kind and sweet and beautiful and confident and smart and everything anyone could ever want in a girl. He never understood why people called her 'Plain Jane', she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid his eyes on. Just looking at her made his heart skip a beat.

They walked together in comfortable silence into town. Carlos had never really been in town as he was not a big outdoors person but Jane was more than happy to show him around. It was a large town, with loads and loads of shops down the main street. They went inside the jewellery the shop to admire some of the things they had in stock there, and into the clothes store, which Jane was surprised to find out, Carlos didn't mind as he quite liked fashion, one thing he did share with his mother. Jane was looking at some of the dresses there that normally she wouldn't wear. She wondered if Carlos would prefer her if she wore something slightly more in style but that thought was dismissed when Carlos made an offhand comment about how he loved her style as it was so unique and so her. Though they weren't going to buy anything, they tried of various clothes to see how they'd look. Both of them decided that, while these clothes were nice, Evie was definitely a better designer for both of them.

After clothes shop they wandered around for a bit, buying hot chocolates from the café, despite the warm weather because you can never go wrong with a hot chocolate in both of their opinions. They went into various other shops, full of trinkets and nick knacks. One of the stores held copies of various famous villain things.

Carlos refused to go near the fur closet, despite the fact it was fake and decided to hide his terror by pretending to be interested in a collection of staffs and such.

"Why do you sell this stuff?" He asked the owner. The owner explained that things such as school plays often had villains and some people liked to dress up as them for dress up parties.

They left that shop pretty quickly as it was all too much of a reminder of the Isle for Carlos. After a quick lunch in the fast-food restaurant, they decided to head to the pet shop.

Inside was amazing. It was massive, and had various sections for various animals and items. Rows upon rows of food for all sorts of animals sat on the shelves, toys sat a long another, beds, collars, leashes, blankets, you name it. Carlos being Carlos headed straight for the dogs. So many puppies were there, cuddled up together or leaping around in the box that held them or eating food that had just been given to them. They all looked so cute. At the back, in comfortable cages were some slightly older dogs, more around Dude's age. There was one of them that caught Jane's eye. It was a beautiful beagle, it's body slender and it's brown, white and black fur silky and smooth. It's eyes were beautiful and dark and seemed to look at Jane with a pleading look. The dog's tail wagged back and forth when it saw Jane. Jane looked closer and noticed first of all, that it was a she and second of all, that she only had three legs.

"I see you've met Duchess." a voice said behind her. Jane turned to see a man standing behind her, looking at the beagle. Carlos looked up from where he was at the puppies and watched them carefully, his Isle instincts kicking in and making him wary of strangers.

Jane nodded. "Duchess?" she asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah. She was a homeless pup when we found her. She was hit by a car and we had to amputate her leg. For some reason, people are less drawn to her because of that."

Jane looked down sadly at the happy dog who's tail began to wag even harder. She barked excitedly. Jane leaned down and began stroking her.

"She doesn't normally take to people that well. You must have a way with dogs." The store worker said.

"She's beautiful." Jane said, stroking the dog lovingly.

"Yes. Unfortunately, as she is a beagle, she tends to be quite excitable and needs lots of attention and exercise and someone making sure she doesn't get fat as beagles have a tendency to eat a lot." The worker explained. "Add that to the three legged thing and people just really aren't interested."

Jane nodded her understanding. Carlos put down the puppy he was holding and made his way over to Jane and Duchess. "She's cute. How old is she?" he asked, looking up at the man.

"Three. Quite young but not quite a pup."

"Not much younger than Dude actually." Carlos thought out loud.

"Yeah, Dude's only about four or five." Jane replied. Her phone suddenly went ping and she pulled out to find that her mother needed her back at the school.

"I've got to go home. I'm so sorry to cut this short, Carlos." she said, standing up. Carlos stood up with her and smiled.

"Hey, no problem. I understand. Let's go. It's obviously urgent."

Jane nodded and together they left the store, waving good-bye to the worker and quickly making their way home.

They walked together to Fairy Godmother's office, both a little unsure of what was so urgent.

"Mom?" Jane asked, entering the office, "You needed me?"

"Yes, dear one." Fairy Godmother replied. "I have a long list of errands and I was wondering if you could run a few for me. The new Auradon students arrive soon so we need new dorms and such ready to go."

Jane nodded, taking the list from her mother. "Of course, mom. I'll have these done in no time."  
"I can help." Carlos piped up. Jane smiled her appreciation.

"Thanks Carlos."

Fairy Godmother smiled warmly at the two love birds in front of her.

"Now of you go. I would love these to be done lickety split."

Jane heads for the door but Carlos hangs behind. "I'll be just a sec." He tells his girlfriend, "I need to ask your mom something first."

Jane nodded and went to go wait outside. Carlos waited until the door closed before telling the Fairy Godmother this plan he had and asked for her consent. She gave it to him with no problem, thinking it was a magnificent idea.

Carlos thanks the headmistress and heads out again. He and Jane link their hands together and head back to her dorm to go over the errands and organise when they could be done. Carlos volunteers to go buy any of the things that need buying in town, claiming it would give him a chance to explore. Jane agreed that that was a good idea especially seeing that if her mom needed anything else, Jane was at the school so she could easily get anything else done.

So they set off to do their various jobs, Jane calling a few volunteers to help her out and Carlos going to Evie to see if she wanted to come with as she knew the town quite well and probably wanted to buy more material anyway. He also stopped off by Dizzy and asked for a favour from her. She agreed and with that he went on his way, with Evie in a tow.

When Jane finally had checked that all the dorms needed for the new kids were properly cleaned and ready to go, she sat down. She had done a list of various things that ranged from making sure dorm rooms were clean to getting the welcoming committee were ready to organise a tour for the newcomers.

Her phone pinged again and she checked it to see a text from Carlos. It said to meet him outside in the courtyard after dinner, at seven. She checked her clock to see it was six now meaning she had an hour to eat some dinner before going out to meet Carlos.

So after a lovely dinner with her mother, Jane headed out to the courtyard where the Family Day Performance was held. The pavilion was lighted up with string lights and a small blanket was laid on the ground. On the blanket was Dude, curled up in a ball. Jane smiled and sat down next to the dog, stroking him lovingly.

Jane looked around, searching for the dog's owner. She thought she saw something move near by.

"Carlos?" She called out, slightly uneasy, "Is that you?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's me." Carlos stepped into the light, smiling. "I have something for you."

Jane looked at him curiously. "Aw, Carlos. What's the occasion?"

"Does a boy have to have an occasion to give his amazing a girlfriend a gift?"

"I suppose not. Is there though?"

Carlos shrugged. "I mean, can I show you the gift first?"

Jane nodded, anxious with curiosity.

"Okay." Carlos took a deep breath and got up to go get something. Jane watched as her boyfriend walked off to apparently go fetch something. She sat nervously, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

After a minute or two Carlos came back, holding some sort of bundle in his arms. He stepped into to the light and when Jane saw the bundle she put her hand over her mouth.

"Carlos?" She asked, tears in her eyes. "You got her, for me?"

Carlos nodded putting down the three-legged beagle on the ground. Duchess barked in excitement and bounded straight for Jane, who opened her arms and scooped up the little dog. Around her neck was a light blue collar, dotted with purple jewels.

"Are those the same jewels as my birthright jewel?" Carlos nodded.

"I got Dizzy to make it for me."

Jane held Duchess in her arms, stroking her, crying slightly.

"Oh Carlos, she's amazing. Thank you, thank you so much!" She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. Duchess began struggling, wanting to go meet Dude so Jane put her down and watched her familiar herself with the other dog. Dude groaned and lifted his head, sniffing the newcomer.

Carlos was fiddling with his glove, smiling slightly.

"Carlos? Are you okay?" Jane asked concerned.

"You know how said that there was a special occasion, that I'd tell you after showing you the present?"

Jane nodded.

Carlos took a deep breath and looked her right in the eye. "Well I did because I knew you wanted a dog and I wanted to make you happy because..." he hesitated slightly, "I love you."

Jane gasped. The three words that she'd dreamed of hearing for a long time, the three words she was too afraid to say first. She was speechless.

"Jane?" Carlos looked concerned at her lack of response. "Oh no, I've messed this up haven't I? I'm sorry, I should probably-"

"I love you too." Jane said, barely a whisper but loud enough for Carlos to hear.

"You, you do?" Carlos asked, unsure if he heard her right.

Jane nodded, smiling brightly. She put her arms around his neck. "I love you Carlos Oscar DeVil."

Carlos' face lit up, smiling brighter than he ever had before. He stared into her eyes before crashing his lips to hers. Jane responded eagerly, her eyes closing. Carlos wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling back slightly, keeping his eyes closed and resting his forehead on hers.

"Wow." Jane whispered.

"Yeah." Carlos responded with a slight laugh.

Both of them opened their eyes and pulled back so that they were still embracing but could see each others whole face.

"Get a room." Dude yelled.

"Dude!" Both Jane and Carlos exclaimed.

 **Okay, so this was just meant to be about Carlos buying a pet for Jane (Thank you DragonEmperor999). Again, I went overboard. But they're amazing. I can't help it. If the title doesn't make any sense to you, I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anything else to call it.  
**

 **Response to reviews: (This is long overdue)**

 **Ani: I'm working on it. I just don't know how to go about it.**

 **DragonEmperor999: I agree with you on both those staments**

 **Eli201: I'm so glad you liked it**

 **Guest: You're very welcome.**

 **Keep sending in prompts. Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	6. Wishful Thinking (Gil and Harry)

Harry stood at the deck of the ship, staring out into ocean. Uma was out there somewhere. Why hadn't she come back? Could she come back? Did the barrier block her from coming through? It must do. She wouldn't leave him here to rot without her.

He heard the creaking of floorboards behind him.

"Hey, Captain." A voice behind him said.

"I'm not the captain, you idiot." Harry replied, "Uma is."

"Well, Uma isn't here. That makes you the new captain." Gil explained.

"Where is your loyalty, Gil?" Harry exclaimed. "Uma is your captain. Your only captain."

"Uma failed." Gil replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Surely that means we no longer should be loyal to her?"

Harry growled. "Everyone has set backs, idiot. You remain loyal to your captain."

"Sorry. But what about you? Are you acting captain?"

Harry nodded, "Yes. But not the captain. Acting only."

"Right." Gil stood there uneasily. "Does that mean Uma's coming back soon?"

"Yes, you idiot! As soon as she finds out a way to break through the barrier."

Gil leaned his arms against the railing. "Do you ever wander what it'd be like to live in Auradon?"

Harry stared at his crew mate. "You mean when we take over? Of course I do."

"I bet the eggs there are fresh." Gil said a little longingly, "And the women must be gorgeous."

Harry shook his head. "I don't care about that. Imagine all the lost boys at my feet begging for mercy before I hook them." he stroked his hook.

Gil looked at him, "But don't you ever wonder what fresh food taste like? What it'd be like to sleep on a soft bed rather than the ones we have here?"

"Sometimes but again, we can have all that and more once we take over Auradon."

Gil nodded in agreement. "Yes."

Harry then grasped Gil's shoulder. "Enough talk, back to work!"

They had taken over Uma's job as Uma was gone and Ursula needed more people to work for her.

They left the ship and headed for Ursula's fish and chip shop.

"Oi, numbskull!" someone yelled at Gil after he served their food. "I wanted the fish fingers."

Harry rounded on the customer, his hook at their throat. "The motto is you'll take it how I make it. Now that's what was made. Now eat it."

Gil thanked Harry by punching him in the arm.

Harry grunted and punched him back, in the guts. Gil doubled over in pain but then stood up without too much trouble, laughing.

"No one calls you numbskull, except me." Harry explained. Gil nodded. He then saw a pretty pirate and decided to try his luck.

As it turns out, this pirate was not interested and Gil now had a black eye.

"I bet they don't punch like this in Auradon." Gil grumbled to Harry. Harry laughed.

"You're lucky you don't live there then. Who'd want a girl who can't fight for themselves?"

Gil thought about it and said. "Me. I don't want one who can fight for herself. She might think she doesn't need me to protect her from beasts."

"Idiot." Harry mumbled under his breath.

Later that day, they were back on the deck, looking towards Auradon.

"I still think living there would be cool." Gil said.

"I agree, but not as it is now. It needs a villainous touch."

Gil agreed. "Yes, it does. Who's?"

Harry growled, "Ours you blithering idiot."

"Oh, right. And Shrimpy's too?"

"Uma. Her name is UMA!" Harry yelled at him.

Gil backed away. "Sorry. I forgot."

Harry stalked off leaving Gil with his thoughts.

"I bet he'd be less yelly in Auradon. That'd be nice." Gil mumbled.

 **Okay, so I struggled with this one. I tried to make their friendship seem like a friendship but Harry was always nasty to Gil. I did try. Sorry it's short. Thank you Ani for suggesting it. I did my best but it's really not that good. I'm sorry.**

 **Response to reviews:**

 **HelenaofHyrule: I'm so glad you think so. I think it's one of my personal favourites. And I'm glad you liked the ending. I was aiming for funny and I'm thrilled I acheived it.**


	7. Pregnant (Mal x Ben)

It was raining outside in Auradon, the drops pounding on the windows of the homes of the people. Most of the Auradonians took this opportunity to curl up with hot chocolate and blankets. However, in Castle Beast, something very different was happening to a certain purple-haired faerie.

This couldn't be happening. She and Ben had only been married for a few months. She was twenty-one. There was no way she was ready!

But the little white stick told her otherwise. Two little lines. Positive. She was pregnant.

How could she tell Ben? How would he react? They'd talked about having a family but both of them agreed that they should wait a bit.

Mal sat on the edge of the bathtub, thinking this all through. Ben would be fine with it right? He'd be fine. Or would he? What if he said he wanted to wait so he could have time to tell he doesn't ever want kids? No, that's ridiculous. He loves kids. What if he's afraid of what kind of mother Mal would be because of who her mother was? What kind of mother would she be? She's only had Maleficent as an example and she wasn't exactly a good mother. Mal couldn't breathe. She was going to be a terrible mother. She couldn't have this kid. She'd ruin it's life. The tears began streaming down. She couldn't. She just couldn't.

Ben finally got back home after a long day of meetings and paperwork, wet, cold and tired. Mal hadn't been feeling well lately so he'd convinced her to take the day off. Unfortunately, without her, running the country was difficult as her leadership skills often prevailed during meetings and decisiveness helped in many ways. He was ready to get to his room, see his beautiful wife and take a nap before dinner. He walked into his room, shrugging off his soaking wet blazer and hanging it up on the coat rack before kicking off his shoes and loosening his tie.

"Mal?" He called out, as he sat on the bed, wondering where his wife may be. "Mal are you here?" If she wasn't here, she'd probably be in the art studio down the hall. She tended to go there to relax if she was stressed. He passed by the bathroom door as he got up to go check. When he passed he heard the sounds of wheezing like they were short of breath. "Mal?" he asked slightly panicked. He grabbed the door handle and twisted, finding that it was luckily open. He rushed in to see his wife sitting by the bathtub, shaking and gasping for breath, obviously having a panic attack for some reason.

He quickly rushed to her side. "Try and match my breathing, Mal." he said, slowly breathing in and out. Finally, after some time, Mal's breathing slowed down to a more normal pace. The tears didn't stop though. She began sobbing loudly, crying into her knees. Ben tried to wrap his arms around her but she shrugged him off.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." she kept whispering.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Mal. You've done nothing wrong." Ben assured her. "What ever it is that brought this on, we'll work through it. Together."

Mal let out another choked sob and hugged her knees tighter. Ben cautiously put a hand on her back, slowly rubbing it when she didn't shrug him off.

"I'm not good enough for you. I'm sorry." she sobbed. Ben gently lifted her face so that her eyes met his.

"Hey, hey don't say that. What brought this on?" he asked softly.

Mal shook her head, pulling away from him, her sobs slowing down significantly.

"Mal, look at me. What's the matter? Has someone said something to you?"

Mal shook her head again, resting her chin on her knees.

Ben moved a piece of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He curved his neck slightly so that he could look at her face better. "Mal. Talk to me."

Mal shook her head again, harder this time. "I can't." She took a deep breath. "You'd hate me."

"Why would I hate you? I could never hate you." Ben took Mal's hands and moved so he was kneeling in front of her. "Mal, look at me. Whatever it is, we can work through it."

Mal looked into the eyes of her true love and realised that what he said was true. They'd get through. Tears stung her eyes again as she looked away from him.

"Ben, I...I'm pregnant." She pulled her hands away from his and covered her face, "I'm so sorry."

"Mal, why are you sorry?" he asked, taking her hands away from her face and looking her in the eye, his smile as bright as the sun. "That's amazing!"

Mal shook her head. "We agreed we're not ready. But I've failed you. I understand if you hate me."

Ben laughed, not unkindly. "Mal, I can't hate you for this. It's as much my fault as it is yours. And I know I said we're not ready but I've always wanted to be a father, Mal. I'm so happy."

Mal looked up at his smiling face, frowning with confusion. "You are? You're happy that your children are going to have me for a mother?"

Ben looked at her with a confused smile, "Of course. Who else? We're going to have a family Mal."

Mal stood up and began pacing. "But we can't Ben!"

Ben stopped smiling and looked up at her, slowly standing up. "What do you mean?"

"Ben, it's me. Me. I can't bring a child into this world. What kind of mother would I be?"

"An amazing one." Ben replied, grabbing his wife's hands and stopping her.

"How?" She looked Ben in the face. "Look what I had for an example! Maleficent. The most evil of them all! And you know that she wasn't a good mother."

"You're not your mother Mal. You're so much better than her."

"But she's the only example of a mother I had growing up! I don't know how to love a child, Ben! I was never loved as a child!"

"But I was." Ben reminded her. "And I taught you how to love. And I can teach you how to love a child the way my parents loved me. You are not your mother, Mal. Stop comparing yourself to her."

"But I am, Ben. How can I not be?"

"You chose good. That's what makes you different. You are good. You're mother is evil. And she may not have been the best example of what a mother should be but she was a good example of what a mother shouldn't be. So you'll have that to go by. Not to mention, I'll be here, every step of the way, loving this baby and loving you. You aren't your mother. And you never will be."

Mal's eyes began to prick with tears. "Ben." She choked out. "I'm so scared."

Ben wrapped his arms around his wife and held her gently as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I know you are Mal. But we'll get through it. Together. And you'll realise what a good mother you are because Mal, you are strong and brave and kind and caring and loving."

Mal tightened her arms around her husband's waist. "Promise you don't hate me for this?"

Ben pulled back from the hug and put his hands on her face. "Mal, I could _never_ hate you. I love you way too much." He pulled her in for a long kiss. He pulled back and placed his hands on her stomach. "And I love this baby as well." He knelt down and lifted her shirt slightly, kissing her stomach.

Mal smiled. "I love you too." Ben stood up and smiled at her, wrapping her hand in his.

"You are obviously exhausted." He said, leading her into the bedroom. "Let's take a nap before dinner okay?"

Mal nodded. They lay down in the bed, cuddled up against each other, hands resting on Mal's stomach. After a minute or so of thinking about everything Ben had said, Mal looked up at her husbands face. He was watching her with a small smile on his face.

"Ben?" she began.

"Hmm?"

"I think I love our little beasty too."

Ben smiled a bit wider. "I'm glad."

Mal smiled back and snuggled into him a more.

"Mal?" Ben asked after a few minutes of them just laying there, enjoying each others presence.

"Yeah?"

"So...would you lay an egg or…?"

Mal grabbed a pillow and whacked him in the face with it.

 **I know, I know. Another Mal and Ben story. What can I say? You guys seem to love them as much as I do.**

 **Thank you EvelynGrim142 for suggesting this one.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I am so glad you think so. I do try.**

 **Bye guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	8. Time (Evie and Harry)

They were four and they'd been going to playgroup together when they met. The Evil Queen wanted more time to work on her looks and to plot against Maleficent for winning the leadership vote and Hook wanted to take care of his shop without a four year-old getting in his way. At playgroup they were taught to play dirty.

He pulled her hair during the silent game to make her yell and lose. The teacher congratulated him on his ability to play dirty while she glared at him, trying to fix her previously perfect hair and began wondering how she could plot her revenge. She was better than him, she knew that so she had to prove it.

The revenge came later that day. He was running in a race against other child pirates,as they'd all just learnt how to run quickly and wanted to show off. However half way to the finish line, she innocently stuck out her foot from where she was standing so he went sprawling to the ground, getting a mouthful of dirt. All the other pirates fell over him. She was congratulated on making sure no one wins in a game that she wasn't even a part of.

They were six and she was having her birthday party. He came of course, just like everyone did. He joined in with his father by putting their heads in Tick Tock's mouth for old time sake. It made her laugh. Everyone on the island loved the princess's laugh. It made them all smile.

He, like all the other kids, tried to sit near her rickety throne so that they could be near the fairest of them all.

He opened his baddie bag to see he had received a baby hyena. He was very happy with it.

She smiled his way as he picked up his baby hyena. She smiled everyone's way but there was something different about the way she smiled at him. It was like they were, dare anyone say it, friends. She seemed to like him.

When Maleficent interrupted the birthday party, she stole one more glance at him before going with her mother.

They were ten and he was getting bored so he decided to head over to the other side of the island. He spots the Castle-Across-The-Way and decides to go see what he can do there. He climbs up into the window in the back to find her finishing off her make-up. Her mother comes and checks it before telling her all the things she did wrong and making her do it again. When her mother leaves, she looks out the window and sees him there. She clasps a hand over her mouth as she lets out a scream of surprise and heads over to window.

He smiles sheepishly and explains that he was bored and wanted to check it. She tells him that she can't let him in. She does, however, tell him to stay there so that she can fetch something. It was a stale muffin as it turned out. She handed it to him and told him to be on his way because if her mother finds out she'd kill them both. It was on of the first acts of kindness he'd ever seen.

They were thirteen and she poked her head out of the window to see that he and his friend, Uma were reeking havoc not far from there house. She rolled her eyes and brought her head back in. She liked him but his friend was nasty. So she tried to avoid them both at all costs. He did sometimes come back after that day when they were ten and they would talk but ever since he became incredibly close to Uma, it became less and less and most of those conversations consisted of her.

Of course she minded as she was told to make every conversation about her in some way or another but she could never. Eventually he stopped coming all together.

They were sixteen and she was leaving for Auradon. She saw him in the crowd and inclined her head politely before jumping in the limousine. She still liked him. But they didn't talk. Not any more. When she arrived in Auradon she was so excited that she rarely gave him a second thought, not unless she was thinking about her life back on the Isle which she tried to avoid.

He glared at her, wandering why she would betray the Isle like that. He didn't think about her much either. He had his captain's orders to follow and nothing was going to stop him there.

They were seventeen and she glared at him across the gangplank. She couldn't believe she used to like him. He was as evil and bloodthirsty as his father was. He now held Ben over the edge and was ready to throw him off. But then Mal was given Ben and they ended having to fight their way out once the fake wand was discovered.

He watched her as she stood by her leader but once the fighting started, he lost sight of her, not that he cared. He did, however, care about his hook being thrown into the sea.

They were eighteen and she'd come back to the Isle one last time to go talk to Yen Sid about looking out for more VK's willing to go to Auradon Prep. He saw her walk past, in the dead of night, and ignored her. She didn't see him but she was worried what would happen if she did. She was lucky. She got back to Auradon Prep unscathed, and he stayed on the Isle, where he belonged. Unfortunately, not all villains wanted to turn good.

 **There you go people. I like to think that they were friends but he slowly grew bloodthirsty like his dad. Also, as much as I love the idea of Harry being in Auradon, I just don't believe it would happen. Not all villains turn good unfortuantely.**

 **And to the guest who requested Hevie: I have a feeling this is not what you wanted. I'm sorry I made them hate each other. I just feel like this is what would have happened.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Riles16: I forgot to respond to you last time sorry. Anyway, YASSSSS! JANELOS = 333333333**

 **EvelynGrim142: I am so glad you liked it**

 **hopeconquers: I'm happy you thought so.**

 **Love you guys**

 **Byyyyye**

 **SparkyGurl**


	9. Loyalty (The Sea Three)

_His Royal Majesty, King Ben of Auradon, and his Councillor Ms Evie of the Isle hereby request the pleasure of your company, Gaston Jr, Gaston the Third and Gil, for the current academic year at Auradon Prep. Please notify his Majesty's couriers of your response to this Request._

Gaston was out. Most likely trying to woo some more women. (He did want six or seven strapping lads like him. He only had three.)

Gaston Jr and Gaston the Third came running over to Gil in excitement.

"Gil, look! We've been invited to go to Auradon. If we go now, we can leave before Dad gets home."

Gil looked at his older brothers a bit sceptically. "But...won't dad be angry?" Gaston wasn't fun to be around when he was angry. He was terrifying and you'd have to watch out if he had a knife on him. Gil had only been hit once in the shoulder and that was because he wasn't really paying attention. His dad had become sloppy in his time on the Isle so his aim was off so the injury wasn't too bad.

"That's why we leave before he gets home so that he can't hurt us any more." Gaston Jr replied

Gil thought about it. "Okay. But can I talk to my friends first?"

Gaston the Third nodded. "We leave soon though."

Gil nodded back and headed out to Uma's pirate ship. Uma had managed to get back not long ago, using the last bit of magic to pass through the barrier so that she could reunite with her crew.

The grey skies were dreary as Gil walked through the Isle. They always were. That never changed. But it did match Gil's mood for once. Not quite dark, not quite bright. Hovering, as if waiting for the downpour of rain or the sun to break through the clouds, but not sure which to expect.

Gil clambered onto the ship, looking around for a glint of a hook or a flash of turquoise hair.

"Gil." Harry came up to him, his eyeliner especially dark today. "What are you doing back? I thought you said you're old man was going to mad at you if you didn't get home in time for bragging."

"Dad's out. I have some news though. Where's Shr...Uma."

"Behind you." Uma stated, leaning on the mast. "What's up? Is it good or bad news?"

Gil gulped. "Depends what you think of Auradon?" he replied though it sounded more like a question than a statement.

Uma and Harry raised their eyebrows at him, Uma crossing her arms and Harry tilting his head.

"I've been invited to go to Auradon alongside Gaston Jr and Gaston the Third."

Uma, who had now moved so she was standing next to Harry, widened her eyes slightly and glanced over at Harry.

"So...you get to go live this perfect life in Auradon then?" she questioned sickeningly sweetly. Gil smiled and nodded. "Why you?" Her tone suddenly changed to her normal dry tone.

Gil's smile faded and he furrowed his eyebrows. "I…I don't know. I guess because Gaston Jr and Gaston the Third get to go? And they don't want to make unfair?"

"Who cares about fair?" Harry asked.

"Auradon." Uma and Gil replied. Harry shrugged his defeat.

"Although if they did really care about fair, they never would have left us all abandoned on this place." Uma spun round and headed towards the other end of the ship, banging her hand on the railing. "We're still stuck here. We should have taken over Auradon by now."

Harry walked over to her and rubbed her shoulder as she angrily glared out towards Auradon.

"You're right, we should have. But maybe we could use Gil going to our advantage. A man on the inside."

Uma scoffed. "Yeah right. Without us there he'd turn on us the instant he sees something he likes."

Gil, who had followed Harry from a distance looked hurt. "I would never do that to you. You're my only friends. You're my captain. We may be villains but we still know what loyalty is."

"Tell that to Mal and her crew." Uma muttered darkly.

"They were loyal. To each other. Not to their parents but loyal all the same. So, yeah, maybe I might like it at Auradon but I won't abandon you." Gil explained, his normally hyper and outgoing demeanour suddenly turned quiet and unsure.

Uma turned to him and crossed her arms. "What are you saying? You're going to Auradon but you'll still be a villain kid? You're the Son of Gaston. You don't have magic so even if you could retrieve Fairy Godmother's wand, you won't be able to wield it."

Gil shrugged. "I know." suddenly his face lit up. "Or maybe I can! It's the most powerful wand in the world. If it could be used inside the barrier then surely even I can use it!"

Uma thought about it. "Slight flaw in that plan. You can't get to the wand. Even I couldn't."

Gil sighed. He seriously wished some things were as easy to do as flirt with women. He subconsciously flexed. "Yeah, you got me."

Uma scoffed, shaking her head. "Idiot. You wouldn't survive out there on your own. You're too soft."

Harry nodded his head in agreement, stroking his hook lovingly. "Let him go. I'm sure we can find other muscle on the Isle." He sounded almost upset by what he was saying.

Hurt by Harry's comment, Gil gulped and slowly looked at Uma, desperately. "But...I'm more than just muscle...aren't I? I mean, I managed to get the Sorcerer's Apprentice to talk."

Frustrated, Uma through her arms up in the air. "Do you want to go or not? Go. Find a perfect little life in Auradon like all the rest of the traitors. Go!"

Gil stepped back. Uma and Harry glared at him so he turned around and began heading to the dock before deciding something.

"No."

"What?" Harry asked, almost hopefully. Almost. It wasn't like he cared whether or not he lost one of his best friends. Villains didn't have best friends. That was mushy Auradon stuff.

"No." Gil replied. "I'm not going. Not without you guys. Besides, who'd want to go to Auradon where there's everything you could ever want. Well okay, going to Auradon sounds really cool but you guys aren't going so neither will I. Where's the fun in laying waste to a land by yourself?"

Uma and Harry smiled a bit. It was faint but it was there.

"Good to know you're loyal to your captain." Uma replied. "Come on guys, mom wants us to work tonight."

"I'll catch you guys later. Need to break the news to the twins."

He quickly left before Uma and Harry could call him back because they knew he was just trying to get out of working.

The twins took it surprisingly well.

"Well, I guess some of us have to stay villains." Gaston Jr said.

"We'll send over some photographs and stuff." Gaston the Third added. Another proclamation from Ben allowed VKs to send things to the friends who were unable to get to Auradon due to their parents or those who didn't want to come. They were distributed at night when most villains were asleep as no one could be bothered to run around in the dead of night any more. It was supposed to help convince some or just help them cope with living in the Isle. They also had Yen Sid tell them about certain VKs who were in desperate need.

Gil nodded. "Great. Things for me to shoot at I hope."

The twins laughed. "Good bye brother. We have to go now. Good luck little bro." And with that they were gone.

After watching the limo disappear, Gil wandered back to Uma's fish and chips shop. He was glad he didn't agree to go. What's the fun in being in a place full of stuck up royals when he could be here, preparing to take over a kingdom with his best friends.

Uma threw a dish towel at him and Harry thumped him in the arm when he got in. Yeah. This was the life. He knew where his loyalties lay. With his captain and the first mate.

 **Not quite sure where I was going with this one but voila. xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx I hope this did it justice. I did my best. If you hated it, don't feel afraid to say.**

 **Response to reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you and thank you so much for your continued support.**

 **Guest (who reviewed on chapter 7, on Nov 12): I am so, so sorry but no. Due to my beliefs I will not do anything that suggest sex outside of marriage has taken place. It's a nice idea for a oneshot but I'm so sorry, I wouldn't be comfortable with writing that. I'm sure there is someone else who would be willing to do so.**

 **Owllover34: Slow down, love. I have quite a few requests so yours may take a while. Can I ask you not to suggest anything else until I have done at least three of yours? Thanks. Loving the enthusiasm though.**

 **Bye!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	10. Make-Up (Evie x Doug)

As the clock struck nine, the bells chiming could be heard throughout Auradon Prep. Evie began subconsciously counting the chimes.

Ding. 1. Doug looked up and checked the clock that was in the library.

Ding. 2. Evie began to gather up her stuff.

Ding. 3. Doug put his stuff in his bag.

Ding. 4. Evie forced her bag shut over the masses of books in it, with some problem.

Ding. 5. Doug smiles at her as he places his bag on his shoulder

Ding. 6. Evie smiles back, standing up.

Ding. 7. Doug pushes his chair under the table

Ding. 8. Evie walks over to him and takes a hold of his hand.

Ding. 9. They share a quick peck before heading out of the library.

Walking hand in hand, they made their way back to Evie's dorm. They talked about this and that and sometimes they said nothing at all. Just comfortably smiled at each other, fingers and hearts entwined.

They reached Evie's dorm and Evie sighed a sigh that was somewhere between relief, as she could finally go to sleep after a long day, and disappointment, because it meant she'd have to leave Doug.

Doug lifted Evie's hand and pressed a kiss to it. "Until tomorrow, my beautiful princess."

Smiling, Evie put her hands on Doug's shoulders and pecked his cheek. "Until tomorrow my handsome dwarf."

With a goofy grin and a swift kiss on the lips, Doug departed waving goodbye to his girlfriend who waited in the doorway, watching him until he disappeared around the corner.

Closing the door behind her, Evie kicked off her shoes before picking them up and placing them neatly with the rest of her shoes. Placing her bag on her sewing desk (which wasn't as crowded as it was when massive parties and balls were coming up but still pretty crowded) Evie made her way to the vanity mirror next to her bed. After undoing the braid in her hair and putting it up in a bun, she opened her make-up box and took out the make-up remover before setting to work and taking off her make-up.

She had just finished removing the last of it, when there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was Mal, who was still in a meeting with Ben, Evie called out for them to come in.

"Did you forget your keys again, Mal?" Evie said, not looking at the door and placing her make up remover back in its' place.

"Actually, it's me." came a voice, much deeper than Mal's. Evie looked up into the mirror and saw Doug's reflection standing by the door. Evie quickly covered her face with her hands.

"Doug!" Her voice sounded muffled in her hands. "W-why are you here? You can't be here." Despite not being able to here her perfectly, Doug could hear the panic in her voice. She suddenly breathing oddly, like she was hyperventilating.

Doug quickly made his way across the room and knelt next to her, telling her to breathe slowly and try to match his breathing.

She eventually calmed down and Doug wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, hey. What's the matter?"

Evie shook her head. "I can't."

Doug tried to gently pry a hand away from her face in order to look at her properly but she pulled back and kept her hands on her face more firmly.

"Evie, what's wrong. Look at me." he ordered softly. Evie shook her head again. Doug reached up and stroked her hair slowly. "Can you please take your hands away from your face? I can't understand you if you don't."

"No!" Evie yelled suddenly, making Doug jump backwards slightly. "No. I'm not wearing make-up. You can't see me like this."

Doug looked at half sympathetic, half confused. "Evie, I don't care. Come on." He crouched before her, so their faces were at equal level, and gently began removing her hands from her face. She tried to resist but he kept his hold firmly.

Her eyes were tight shut as she refused to look at him and her face was looking down. Doug hooked a finger under her chin and softly lifted her head. Evie opened her eyes, scared yet curious about his reaction. She had a few freckles dotting her face, her eyes had slight bags under them from not getting as much sleep as she should, and there was a scar along the side of her chin. Doug gently used his thumb to stroke it.

Evie began crying softly. "I know. I know I'm disgusting with out my make-up. I understand if you want to break up with me. I don't blame you."

Doug shook his head and brought his other hand to the other side of her face, wiping away the tears with the thumb.

"Evie, you're not disgusting at all. You're gorgeous." he said, looking at her lovingly.

Evie shook her head. "You don't have to pretend Doug. Please, just make this easier on both of us and end it."

"Evie, no." Doug said firmly yet kindly. "I'm not breaking up with you. You look amazing without your make-up and even if you didn't, which you do, I still wouldn't break up with you."

Evie's red eyes looked at him questioningly. "You...you wouldn't?"

"Evie, I'm not dating you just because you're the most beautiful girl in the world. That's just an added bonus." Doug replied. "You're smart and funny and talented and amazing and I wouldn't give you up for the world. I don't deserve anyone as kind or loyal or sweet as you. I definitely don't deserve someone half as beautiful as you."

Evie shook her head again. "But look at me, Doug. Without my make-up I'm just...this ." She gestured to her face.

Smiling, Doug shook his head. "Evie, you are so much more than a pretty face. You know that. You told me that after you passed your first test."

"But Doug. Look at me. That was when I was wearing make-up. Look at me now."

Doug's thumb traced the path of the scar on her chin. "I am looking at you now, Evie. And you're still my beautiful princess. And you are still amazing." He kissed her cheek. "And smart." he kissed her other one. "And funny." He kissed the scar on her chin. "And sweet." He kissed her forehead. "And kind." he pecked her nose. "And the best thing in my life." He said finally before taking Evie's lips with his.

Evie responded eagerly and wrapped her arms around his neck. They pulled apart and rested their foreheads against each other breathing slightly hard and smiling brighter than the sun.

"You really think I'm beautiful without my make-up?" Evie asked shyly. It would be a first. She was always told that she wasn't pretty without her make-up. That she'd never find a prince if she didn't wear it.

"I don't think. I know." Doug replied. Doug knew why Evie was so disbelieving but he didn't want to mention anything that may bring up bad memories.

Evie pulled away completely, her eyes now shining with happy tears.

"So why did you come here?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

A look a confusion followed quickly by realisation went over Doug's face. "Oh! Right. Your sketchbook ended up in my bag. I've put it on the table.

Evie smiled her gratitude before leaning towards him and pecking his lips again. "You should probably go." She whispered. "School night. And the rules."

Doug nodded and got up, Evie close behind him. He kissed her on the cheek and headed out of the dorm with one more loving look at the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, with or without make-up.

Evie closed the door behind him and smiled. He stayed with her. She wasn't wearing make-up and he still wanted her. To Evie, that was the most amazing thing in the world.

 **Voila. Thank you Riles16 for the prompt. I was quite proud of this one. Maybe too proud but proud nonetheless.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx : I'm so glad you liked it. Also, I'm pleased that you think they were in character as that is what I struggle with most.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you for your constant support and don't worry. It's on the to-do list (Yes I have one of those)**

 **Guest who keeps reviewing the word 'Hevie' : If you are not the same person sorry, but if you are, constantly repeating something is not going to encourage me to do it faster, it is more likely to deter me if anything.**

 **Bye!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	11. Failure (Harry x Uma)

The crowded fish and chip shop was full of villains and henchmen, all smacking and slurping and burping and complaining. Food was spilling onto the floor from the waitress' hands as they didn't hold the plates carefully and the contents of the plates landed half on the table as they chucked it in front of the customer. The TV was blaring Auradon news in the background.

"Ever since the Royal Cotillion, the 'Core Four', as they have now been nicknamed by many, are turning Auradon around for the good. With the help of King Ben, Lady Mal and her friends, Miss Evie, Master Jay and Master Carlos have turned Auradon around in a way that no one could have expected." The scene shifted to Mal making a speech. "Lady Mal made a speech about the problems with the Isle and how the heroes should help."

"I grew up with nothing to eat but rotten food." Mal was saying into the mikes at the podium, her purple hair in a low bun on her head and her dress a simple orchid, knee length, A-line. "I used to have to steal my breakfast as my mother was too busy plotting to have time to get some for us herself. Day in, day out, I would go out to the market and try and grab the freshest of the food before someone else did and even then it wasn't very fresh. I often skipped meals as I was told I wasn't strong enough so I tried to prove that I was stronger."

"ARGH!" A loud yell interrupted Mal's speech and food was thrown at the screen. "That little traitor!"

Uma stood by the TV, fuming with rage. Harry Hook, her first mate, threw food at it too, calling Mal a few slightly colourful names.

"How dare she? Talk like that as though she hated it. She loved it! But Auradon's made her all soft. UGH!" Uma grabbed someone's plate and chucked it at the TV. It missed and went crashing to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. "A hero. Yeah, right. As if. Now she's in Auradon she can act the hero and act as though she was never the worst of us all. I am now the worst and all I get is her OLD turf. I need to take what she holds dear from her! Starting with that pathetic little King."

Harry placed the hand that was not holding the hook on Uma's arm. "Calm down. She's just talking about how bad the food is."

Uma huffs and storms out of the fish and chip shop, not caring that her shift doesn't end for two hours. Harry follows her. He was not concerned. Of course not. You don't worry about other people on the Isle. Just yourself. No one else. But she was a captain. And you know what they say, a happy captain means a safer sea voyage.

"Uma. It's just Lady Traitor. No need to get so worked up about it. She's in Bore-adon now and it will be ours soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't soon enough!" Uma yelled. "I failed! I almost freed you. All of you. We would have brought Evil down into this world and destroyed Auradon. But that stupid dragon brat had to go and use True Loves Kiss. Damn that blasted loophole!"

Harry handed her a sword and stood back while she attacked some of the walls that had Mal's old tags on them.

"Stupid. Little. Brat. With. Her. Stupid. Little. Kiss. With. Her. Stupid. True. Love!" Uma punctuated each word with a swing at the tag. "Stupid. King. Who. Actually. Loved. Her. Back!" she stopped and panted. "How could the King of Auradon love a villain? If he didn't, none of this would have happened and we would have won!"

"Except Mal may never have come back." Harry explained, twirling his hook. Uma glared at him but he continued. "Or even worse, she would have never turned good and she'd have the glory of setting us free."

Uma thought about what he was saying. "And yet, despite the fact that she ran from him, he still loved her. What kind of idiot loves? Especially loves cowards. She ran and he stilled loved her."

"But if he didn't, he never would have came for her, meaning she never would have left, meaning you never would have gotten out."

Uma sighed and sat down, defeated. "Stupid fairy brat and the gift Beasty Boy made for the Traitor. If that hadn't happened, I would have won!"

Harry sits on the barrels next to her and pats her shoulder. "You did great Uma. You can't control every factor. You nearly had her. Why you didn't stay in Auradon and create havoc though, I could not understand."

Uma looked up at Harry. "And leave my crew? Are you nuts? I may want all the glory and power but every captain needs a crew to keep the ship together."

Harry smiled his cocky smile at her. "Are you sure it was the crew or just a very handsome first mate."

Uma glared at him and pushed him off the barrel. "You sound like Gaston." she groaned. "So full of yourself."

Harry got up and dusted himself off. "Well, what can I say? He's got a good idea in that sense."

Uma rolled her eyes. "What are we going to do about that pathetic little kingdom?"

Harry sat down again and thought. "We could try and sneak out again, when other Isle kids are picked up and whisked away."

Uma shook her head. "We'd be caught the moment we set foot in Auradon and there is no way we could sneak out a big enough army to deal with it." #

"You'll think of something. Because what's your name?" Harry asked, leaning over to her.

"Uma." She said, quietly.

"Say it louder!" He commanded

"Uma!" She yelled at him

"Oh, feel the power." He exclaimed, his cocky grin on his face which made him receive another shove. But at least she was laughing this time.

Harry grinned and got up, holding his hand out for her, which she took.

" _No one's going to stop us, soon the world will be ours."_ He sang at her, quietly as he pulled her up.

" _What's my name? What's my name? What's it? What's it? Say it loud!"_ She sang back, hitting that last note perfectly.

"Uma." Harry whispered, pulling her close, one arm around her waist.

Uma put her hand on his shoulder. "That's the one." she joked.

Harry smirked at her and pulled her even closer so that they were nose to nose. "I highly doubt anyone will forget that name any time soon."

Uma smirked. "Good. Because we need all hands on deck for this one. And if my name strikes fear, then we should have a few more hands on deck with no problem."

Uma lets go of Harry's shoulder and pushes herself away, heading back to the fish and chip shop before her mum begins yelling at her again.

"Oh and by the way." She called, turning around, looking at the pirate who was stood still, watching her retreating form. "You cheered me up a lot. And you're right. We're going to take down Auradon if it is the last thing I do."

 **Here we go. Yet another one finished. I know, I know. My updates are slowing down. But I have a good excuse. My homework is piling up and my motivation is slowly slipping. I'm trying, I promise.**

 **If the title makes no sense, sorry. Basically this is about how Uma is coping with her failure.**

 **Thank you DragonEmperor999 for the prompt. I hope this was good enough.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Riles16: I'm glad you did. I was personally quite proud of how it turned out even if it was not one of my best so the fact that you loved it makes it all the better.**

 **Kate cheese: Yay! I'm so happy you love them! More are coming. I have about thirteen on my to-do list right now so another one should be on the way within the next few days.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	12. Meeting the Family (Jay x Lonnie)

The limo pulled up to Auradon Prep and waited there for the people who hired it. The driver turned up the music and bopped his head to it slightly, enjoying the upbeat music of 'Under the Sea'.

Inside Auradon Prep there was a little less dancing and singing and a little more pulling and shouting.

"You agreed to come!" Lonnie exclaimed as she tried to drag Jay out of the dorm room. "You promised!"

Jay stood his ground, refusing to get pulled. "I change my mind. I have…other things to do."

Lonnie glared at him, still yanking on his arm. "Your bags are packed and waiting to go. Don't get cold feet now. You promised, Jay."

"I know I did but..." Jay couldn't think of an excuse.

Lonnie sighed and stopped tugging on his arm. "Jay, please. I know you're scared of meeting them but it's just for the weekend. We'll get there really late, stay the whole of tomorrow and leave again early Sunday morning."

Jay looked over at Carlos, who had been sitting in the room trying to play a video game. Carlos just shrugged. "You did promise Jay. I see no reason not to go. It's a good plan."

Jay glared at his brother slightly, before turning back to Lonnie. This turned out to be a mistake as Lonnie had pulled out the pout. "Fine! I'm coming."

Lonnie grinned and hugged him. "You won't regret it."

Jay sighed, feeling as though he already was. He grabbed his duffel bag and took the hand that Lonnie offered him, allowing himself to be dragged through the school and to the limo which was waiting to take them to Northern Wei. Lonnie put her overnight bags in the boot followed by Jay's blue and yellow duffel bag. The two of them got into the back of the limo and watched as Auradon Prep faded out of sight.

The drive was rather long and sometime during that time, Lonnie had curled up like a cat, resting her head on Jay's lap and his arm lay loosely yet protectively over her small frame. Jay was content to watch his girlfriend sleep, as weird as it may seem, but he's always been protective over what was his. Not that she belonged to him. She wasn't an object. But he cared about her deeply and wanted to keep her safe. Besides, he was way to nervous to sleep anyway.

Finally, the limo pulled up in Northern Wei and Jay gently shook Lonnie awake. Lonnie opened her eyes and stretched.

"Hey." She said, smiling up at Jay.

"Hey." he replied, a small smile tugging at his lips as well. "We're here."

Lonnie rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, stretching her legs out as she did so. She let out a little yawn and smiled at the sight of her home. She quickly got out of the limo to see her mother and father waiting there for her.

"Mama! Baba!" She cried out, hugging them both. Mulan and Shang wrapped their arms around their daughter in a big family hug.

Jay got out of the limo and immediately headed to the boot to take out the bags. He slung his Auradon Prep duffel bag and Lonnie's pink and white flowery satchel over his shoulder, and he grabbed her handbag as well before heading over to the family.

Mulan released her daughter and held out a hand to the boy. "You must be Jay." She said with a smile, "I've heard a lot about you from Lonnie."

Jay shook Mulan's hand. "It's nice to meet you Mrs Fa."

"Oh, Mulan. Please." she corrected. "I've never liked being called Mrs Fa."

Jay nodded. "Of course. Sorry."

Shang approached Jay next. "So, Jay, is it? I've heard quite a bit about you from Li'l Shang. You're on the Tourney Team, correct?"

Jay nodded. "Yes, sir."

Shang shook Jay's hand firmly, glaring at him slightly. "You'd better take care of my daughter."

Jay nodded. "Of course."

"I can take care of my self, Baba." Lonnie said, appearing by Jay's side and taking her bags from him.

"That's true. She's amazing with a sword." Jay replied, smiling at his girl. Lonnie grinned back.

Shang harrumphed. "I hope so. It'll save me the trouble of hurting you if you hurt her."

"Believe me, sir. I have no intention of hurting her." Jay said earnestly.

Shang nodded stiffly. "You'd better not."

Mulan raised her eyebrow at her husband. "Okay, enough threatening the guest. Come on inside, Northern Wei is considerably colder than Auradon Central."  
Jay looked at the house as he was ushered in. It was simple, nothing flashy like what most of the heroes had. It was a long bungalow, with big, red doors and wooden framed windows. The garden was massive but Jay didn't have time to look at it properly before he was led inside.

"You'll be staying in Li'l Shang's room, seeing as he's not coming this weekend. Too much work to get through." Mulan explained, leading Jay through the house, Lonnie following on. The walls were covered with pictures of the family and achievements that all of the family had, many of them military achievements.

Li'l Shang's room was painted a simple cream colour but was covered in posters of various hip-hop groups and sword fighters. The bed had a red and gold blanket with a red pillow, and the rug was a swirl of black, white and gray. There was a desk in the corner, and a wardrobe against the wall to Jay's right. He placed his bag on the bed and smiled at the women standing in the doorway.

"Thank you." he said. Mulan smiled and nodded before walking away, telling them that dinner will be ready in about half an hour.

Jay looked around the room again, a little overwhelmed at how welcoming Mulan and Shang had been. Well, Shang not so much but still more welcoming than Jay had expected.

Lonnie watched her boyfriend for a few seconds before speaking up.

"The whole family are going to be at dinner, minus Li'l Shang of course." she said, breaking the silence. "Just so, you know, you can mentally prepare yourself for an interrogation."

Jay went a bit pale, although his expression barely shifted. "Interrogation?"

Lonnie laughed. "My mum, dad and 'uncles' are all from the military. You can't really expect anything less. Don't worry. My 'aunts' will keep them in check and make sure they don't embarrass either of us too much."

Jay nodded, gulping slightly. Lonnie smiled and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're going to be okay. They'll love you. Seriously."

Jay wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure?"

Lonnie nodded, placing one hand on his cheek. "I'm sure." She pecked his lips and let go of him. "I'll just be next door if you need me."

Jay nodded again and watched as she left the room, smiling at him over her shoulder.

Jay let out a deep breath of air and sat down on the bed. He shuffled through his bag to find his phone, which he finally found after losing it again a week ago.

He shot his siblings a quick text to let them know he'd arrived safely. They all texted back within ten minutes, Mal with a simple 'Have fun and good luck.', Evie begging for details when he comes back and Carlos with 'So glad I'm not in your shoes right now. I'd be terrified.' followed by a laughing face emoji. Jay glared at the text as though Carlos could feel it through the phone. He was nervous enough as it was. He had a feeling Shang didn't like him and he wasn't quite sure how he should feel about that.

After five or so minutes, Lonnie walked back into his room and sat down next to him. They began talking about various things, from tourney and dance, to Lonnie's family, to what growing up in Northern Wei was like.

Finally, Mulan knocked on the open door, announcing dinner. Jay nodded and got up off the bed, and headed to the dining room, walking slightly behind Lonnie so that she led the way.

The dinner table was crowded, surrounded by people sitting cross-legged around a low table on bamboo mats. Lonnie offered Jay a cushion but he declined, he was fine without one.

Jay sat himself down next to Lonnie and one of her 'aunts', he believed her name was Su. He quickly glanced around the table and noted that there were eleven adults there and four other kids, who looked between the ages of thirteen and seventeen. The adults made polite small talk for a while, talking about work and politics and such. Eventually they turned the conversation to the kids and began asking them questions about school.

Jay learned that Yao and Mei's son, Yu, was a player on the Imperial Academy Tourney Team, however this was his first season that'd he'd be playing so it explained why Jay had never seen him before. Ling and Ting-Ting's daughter, Lei, was a joker like her father (although, she claims she's better than him) and their son, Tu, was quite proper and saw duty as one of the most important things in the world. Shuang, Chien Po and Su's daughter, was a energetic girl with a hearty appetite and was about to start her first year at the imperial academy.

"So what about you, Jay?" Mei asked, sweetly, "What's school like for you?"

"Better than the school I had back on the Isle." Jay answered, "And I'm on the tourney team as well which is great."

"And yet you still can't beat us." Shang said, watching Jay closely to see his reaction.

"You have a very strong team, sir." Jay replied. "Well disciplined and work together very well. They're our biggest rivals."

Shang nodded, proud of his work. "You obviously know a good team when you see one."

"Yes, sir." Jay shuffled in his seat slightly nervously. "I used to watch previous matches when I first came to Auradon. I watched how different teams worked together. Having never been part of a team before, it was rather eye-opening."

"Ugh, boys and their sports." Grandmother Fa suddenly broke in. "Why don't we talk about something more interesting? Like when these two are going to get married!" She all but yelled, gesturing at Jay and Lonnie.

Both Jay and Lonnie when bright red and Lonnie covered her face with her hands.

"Nai-nai, no." Mulan said, gently. "They are only seventeen."

"In my day that was almost too old to get married. And Lonnie is nearly eighteen now!"

Mulan face palmed while everyone else, minus Lonnie and Jay, did their best to not burst into laughter.

"I am so sorry about my grandmother, Jay. She's always been insistent that as soon as you're in love, that's all you need." Mulan looked at Jay apologetically.

"Shang only knew you were a woman for a month before you two got engaged." Grandmother Fa muttered.

"I think that we should be heading home." Fa Li said suddenly, standing up. Fa Zhou followed her lead, all though he got up much slower and winced quite a bit as he used his stick to support himself.

"Oh come on, you all know I'm right. I bet that they'll be engaged before they're twenty."

This caused Lonnie and Jay to go an even brighter red and the rest of the kids to burst out laughing. Fa Li quickly got her mother up and left, saying her goodbyes.

Mulan turned to Jay. "I apologise for her. Again. I wish I could say it's her old age but she's always been like this."

Jay laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. No problem, I guess?"

Lonnie patted his arm sympathetically, her own face still bright red.

"So, what were you saying about never being on a team?" Ting-Ting changed the subject quickly.

"My dad had a mantra. 'No team in I'. So I was basically taught that teams were a sign of weakness because it meant you had to rely on others."

"Wow." Yao said. "Rough childhood."

Jay nodded. "I guess you could say that."

"What was it like?" Shuang inquired. "Can you tell us about it?"

"No." Everyone turned their head to the person who spoke, all confused.

"Why not?" Shuang asked Lonnie.

Lonnie shook her head. "They had it rough. That's all you need to know for now. And if you go listen to Lady Mal's speeches, you'll hear a bit more about it. You shouldn't pry about this sort of thing, okay?"

Jay gave her a thankful look, as he didn't know what to say. That he slept on a threadbare rug under a shelf that was covered in old TV's and he was lucky he wasn't squished? Not something he'd be that willing to talk about. He didn't want them to feel sorry for him. That was behind him now.

"I think we're going to turn in as well, it was a long journey." Lonnie stood up, taking Jay's hand and pulling him up with her.

Mulan nodded. "I can imagine. We'll see you in the morning. Good night."

They bade everyone goodnight and headed to their rooms.

"Thanks." Jay said, once they reached their rooms. "For saving me back there. I probably messed up pretty badly."

Lonnie shook her head. "You did fine. I just didn't like the prying. I know I do it, but still, not exactly a dinner conversation."

Jay nodded. "Yeah."

Lonnie placed a hand on his cheek. "Are you okay?"

Jay smiled at her, and covered her hand with his. "Yeah, of course." He leaned towards Lonnie and brought her in for a kiss, not letting go of her hand and using his free hand to pull her closer by wrapping it around her waist.

Lonnie pulled back and smiled at him. "Goodnight Jay."

Jay smiled back. "Goodnight." He gently lifted Lonnie's hand of his cheek and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss gently on her knuckles. "See you tomorrow."

Lonnie pulled her hand back and smiled at him. "See you tomorrow."

And with one more parting glance they headed into their respective rooms.

Jay woke up in the morning feeling rough. He didn't sleep well as he kept dreaming that his father found him. He subconsciously rubbed his stomach, where there was an old scar from long ago.

Jay took a deep breath and got up to begin getting ready for the day. After a quick shower, Jay walked out into the hallway. He went to knock on Lonnie's door but heard a soft snore from within so decided to let her sleep. He walked down the hallway for a bit, unsure of what to do when one of the ornaments on the wall caught his eye. He looked over at it and realised it wasn't an ornament at all. It was a medal. The medal that Mulan was given after saving China. Jay approached it and stared at it in awe.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Jay jumped a bit at the voice and turned around. Mulan was standing there, smiling at him.

"Didn't mean to scare you." She said, approaching him.

Jay shook his head. "I didn't realise anyone was awake."

Mulan smiled, "The war forced me into the habit of getting up early."

Nodding, Jay turned back to the medal. "It's amazing what you did. Break the law to protect your father, even though it could get you killed."

"I'd do anything for my family." Mulan replied, smiling at the medal.

"Lonnie definitely inherited that from you." Jay acknowledged. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone as feisty as Lonnie when her family gets insulted."

"She grew up in an honour based culture. Honour is very important here in Northern Wei."

Jay nodded. "I can tell. But didn't you bring dishonour onto your family, when you were found out?"

Sighing, Mulan nodded. "It took saving China to regain that honour." she half-joked.

"I could never do it." Jay declared. "I mean, going out and nearly getting yourself killed just to save your father. It was so brave."

"I think you would." Mulan responded, "Maybe not for your father but I saw the way you protected the Evil Queen's daughter on Family Day."

"Evie." Jay said, automatically. He often did that, to people who forgot their names or refused to acknowledge them as anything other than their parents' kids.

"Evie." Mulan agreed. "I'll try to remember that. But you see what I mean? You go to defend your family, without thinking twice."

Jay smiled, "I suppose so. Never really thought of it like that. I guess I was thinking of my father." He subconsciously rubbed a scar on his hand, a small one, barely visible but there all the same. Last night's nightmares played in his head. He mentally shook his head to get them out.

Mulan went to say something but the sound of footsteps alerted them to another presence. They looked up and saw Lonnie approaching them in her pyjamas.

"Morning." she smiled.

"Morning." Jay and Mulan echoed.

Lonnie slipped her hand into Jay's, giving it a quick squeeze. "What you guys talking about?"

Jay gestured to the medal behind him. "I was asking your mum about the war."

"Well, I saw Ayi Su on the way and she says she's just about to start breakfast, so I thought maybe you wanted to go for a walk before hand?"

Jay nodded his agreement. Lonnie smiled at her mother and placed a kiss on her cheek before leading Jay away.

"Don't you want to get changed first?" Jay asked, as they headed to the back door.

Lonnie shook her head. "We have a pretty big garden." she explained.

She opened the back door to show the beautiful expansion of land that sat behind it. The grass was incredibly green and there was a stone path that led to an archway. Just beyond the archway was a tall cherry tree poking out. Lonnie led Jay down the path and through the archway. As they walked through it, Jay saw the stream that flowed through the garden and the temple in which the ancestors lived. There was also a stone bench under the cherry tree that blossomed high and bright.

The two teens stopped by the tree and sat down.

"So this is where your dad proposed?" Jay asked.

Lonnie raised her eyebrow at him. "And you know this, how?"

"I'm taking History of Warriors this semester. Your mum and dad's story is the main one we study."

"Oh. Right. Yeah, this is the place." Lonnie smiled, looking at the tree behind her.

Jay studied her for a bit. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, gently placing his hand on hers.

Lonnie looked down at their hands and smiled before shaking her head and meeting his worry filled eyes.  
"No. I'm fine."

Jay rubbed her hand with his thumb. "You can tell me, you know?"

Lonnie smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder, Jay's arm went around her shoulders, almost instinctively. "I know. But it's silly."

"If it's bothering you, then I doubt it is."

"It's not really bothering me so much as making me question my own life."

Jay looked at her, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

She sighed and turned her head so she was looking at him. "This place, it holds a lot of meaning to my family. It's where Baba proposed to Mama. It's where my grandfather told my mum that even though she wasn't like the other girls, who were getting married at that point, that she just had to give it time and she'd find who she was. It's where my mum came to present the medal and sword to my grandfather to restore the family honour. So many important things happened here. But when I look at my life, I wonder what I've done to uphold the family honour, you know?"

Jay raised her eyebrow at her, cracking a smile. "Oh, I don't know. Create peace between Northern Wei and Agrabah? Sneak into the Isle and save Ben? Become captain of the R.O.A.R despite the 'no girls' rule? Kick ass and look amazing while doing it?"

Lonnie giggled. "I guess you're right." she snuggled deeper into his shoulder. "But sometimes I feel as if it's not enough. I mean my parents save _China._ "

Jay sighed, "Lonnie, if there is one thing I've learned from coming to Auradon it's that you shouldn't try to be your parents. Just because you didn't save China, it doesn't mean that you're not good enough. I mean, you helped me and the others save Auradon. And you prevented war between two regions."

Lonnie looked up at him again, "How do you always know what to say?"

"What can I say, I'm as smart as I am handsome."

Lonnie laughed. "Sure." she looked him in the eye and smiled softly at him before raising her head to kiss him. Jay leaned his head down, a small smile on his lips.

"What in the world is going on here?" A voice broke in, causing Jay and Lonnie to jump and smack their heads against each others, hard.

"Mushu!" Lonnie exclaimed, both in pain and peeved that he interrupted.

"Mushu? As in the little dragon?" Jay asked, rubbing his head and turning towards the voice. A little red dragon was sat just by their feet.

"Crikee tells me that my girl is home and I come to say hi and I see you about to kiss a boy?" It exclaimed.

Lonnie rubbed her forehead, where she felt a bump coming. "Jay, this is Mushu, the family guardian. Mushu, this is Jay. My boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Mushu hopped onto the bench between the two of them. "Since when have you had a boyfriend?"

"A few months." Lonnie replied, her face still scrunched up in pain. Jay, who's pain tolerance was rather high, took her chin in his hand and rubbed a thumb gently over the bump, to which Lonnie hissed slightly.

"Sorry." he whispered, studying the bump. "That's going to be painful for a while, we may need to get some ice for that."

"A few months?" Mushu interrupted, "And where, pray, is he from? He looks Arabic."

"The Isle." Jay answered before Lonnie could say anything. "I'm one of the transfers."

"The Isle? The Isle?!" Mushu threw his arms up and scrambled up Lonnie's arm. "Your boyfriend is from the Isle? Girl, what the hell is wrong with you? He'll probably murder us all in our sleep!"

Jay stiffened at Mushu's words.

"Mushu!" Lonnie slapped the dragon of her shoulder, "He wouldn't do anything of the sort! He never hurt a soul, not even on the Isle."

"Oh, I see. He'll just steal everything we have instead. He's Jafar's kid isn't he? I recognise him now. He's the thief!"

Jay cringed away, slightly at the word 'thief', his hands balling into fists.

"Was. He was the thief. Now he's a good person. He chose good. He hasn't stolen a thing unless he absolutely had to." Lonnie explained.

"Yeah sure. Once a thief, always a thief. That's what I say. He's probably just like his father."

That did it. Jay stood up and picked Mushu up by the neck. "I am not my father. I am nothing like him."

"Jay. Put him down." Lonnie said gently. Jay dropped Mushu and turned around, storming back to the house.

"I told you he was no good!" Mushu exclaimed. Lonnie rounded on Mushu and picked him up before taking him to the stable and dropping him in the stable where Khan's descendants began to trample him, just like their father used to.

"Jay!" Lonnie ran after Jay, who had already entered the house. "Jay!"

She ran into her brother's room to see Jay throwing the little stuff he had unpacked back into his bag.

"Jay, stop." Lonnie grabbed his hands and turned him to face her. "Look at me, Jay. Just ignore Mushu. He holds an incredibly high opinion of himself and was one of the sidekicks in full support of the Isle. He doesn't think that people can change."

"He's right though, isn't he?" Jay refused to meet her eyes. "I'm nothing more than a common thief."

"Aladdin was nothing more than a common thief!" Lonnie exclaimed. "And now he's the Sultan! People change, Jay. You've changed. You're not a thief."

Jay looked her in the eye and saw the sincerity, as well as a few tears, in them. One of the tears escaped and began running down Lonnie's cheek. Jay reached up and wiped it away. He stared and Lonnie for a few more seconds before pulling her into a hug, wrapping his arms securely around her waist and holding her as close as possible. Lonnie placed her arms around his neck and used one hand to stroke his long, black hair.

"Ignore him, Jay. He's an idiot." she said into his shoulder. Jay let out a small laugh, which made Lonnie smile.

The two of them just stood their holding each other for a few minutes, blissfully unaware of the fact that the door was open and Mulan and Shang were watching them from the doorway, Shang's arm around Mulan's shoulder. Mulan smiled before gently closing the door, giving them some privacy.

"Our little girl is all grown up." She said as she and Shang walked away.

Shang nodded. "Yes. And she's found a good man as well. One who will protect her from anything."

Mulan hummed in agreement. "And one she'll defend for the rest of her life."

She sighed in content before straightening her back. "Speaking of defending people, I believe I have a dragon to smack."

 **First things first . To DragonEmperor999: SURPRISE! I know I said that it'd be a while before there was a Jonnie one shot but a i turn out, I completely missed your Jonnie prompt. So here it is!**

 **Also, thank you Owllover34 for yor prompt. I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and do both yours and DragonEmperor999's at the same time.**

 **If Jay seems a bit OOC, I'm sorry. I find him one of the most difficult people to write.**

 **Response to reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I am so happy you loved it!**

 **xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx: *pokes* You okay? Are you still malfunctioning? Hold on. *reboots your system* better? Well, I'm happy you loved it so much. I love Huma too! *squeals***

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	13. Pregnant (AU) (Mal x Ben)

It was noon in Auradon and the blue-haired princess had just finished her last appointment for the morning. With a booming fashion business and a loving fiance, Evie felt as though she had everything she could ever want.

Evie cleaned up, singing softly to herself as she did so. The shop bell rang as someone entered the door. Evie grinned and turned to face the customer.

"Hey, welcome to Evie's-." She cut herself off, "Oh, Mal. Hey, what's wrong?"

Tear stains were streaked down her face and her eyes were red and puffy. The purple-haired queen flung herself into her best friends arms.

"I've messed up." She sobbed, clinging onto her sister as though she was her life line. "I've messed up so bad."

Evie held her friend close while she sobbed. "Hey, hey. It's going to be okay." She let go of her friend for a few seconds while she turned her sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. She then turned back to Mal and took her hands.

"What's wrong, M? What's happened?"

"Oh, E. I-I-I'm-" she let out a loud sob, tears pouring out of her eyes like a water fall. Evie gently took her to the back room, where they sat on the poofs that were sitting around the fitting area. Evie took Mal into her arms and let her cry for a while.

"Hey, hey. It's going to be okay. Did you have a fight with Ben?" she asked, when the sobs died down.

Mal shook her head, sniffling.

"No, no. I just..." she sniffed again, "I've just messed up. And Ben's going to hate me when he finds out."

"Ben hate you? That I find hard to believe. What's the matter, Mal? What could you have possibly done wrong?"

"Oh, Evie. I'm pregnant!" the purple faerie cried.

Evie gasped. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to be an auntie!" She hugged Mal, tight. "Oh Mal, this is amazing!"

Mal pulled back and stared at her friend. "How is this amazing, E? I've been married for three months! We're not ready to have kids! Ben said so himself. He's going to hate me so much."

"Why would he hate you?" Evie asked, taking her friend's hand. "Last time I checked, it takes two to make a baby."

"But I'm supposed to be on birth control." Mal explained. "It's my fault."

Evie gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Have you ever stopped taking it?"

Mal shook her head. "No. Of course not. I was careful. And now I'm pregnant. E, I'm so confused and so, so scared."

Evie hugged Mal again. "Mal, sometimes birth control doesn't work. It's unlikely, but it does happen sometimes, and I'm guessing it didn't work because medicine doesn't have the same effect on you. Normally, mortal medicine doesn't work at all on faeries but you're a half faerie. It works sometimes, especially if the medicine is meant to help with the healing process, but sometimes your body rejects it and it doesn't work."

Mal snuggled her head into Evie's shoulder. "Do you really think that's why?"

"Pretty sure. It would make sense."

Mal sighed. "I guess. But he'll still hate me."

"Why? M, this isn't your fault."

"He isn't ready for kids, E!" Mal pulled away and began pacing the room. "He probably doesn't even want them at all. I mean, look what his kids would have for a mother!"

"M, don't be silly." Evie stood up and watched her sister pace the room. "Of course he wants kids. And you'll be a fantastic mother. And I swear, if you try to bring up the 'I was raised by the most of evil of them all' argument, I will personally kick your behind to Isle."

"But it's true, Evie! I'll be a crap mother because Mum is the only mother I have ever known!"

"Exactly." Evie said, throwing her hands in the air, frustrated. "You'll know how not to be a mother."  
"I, I. Ugh! I hate it when you're right." Mal sat down, defeated.

Evie raised her eyebrow at her. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Mal?"

Mal laughed. "Oh I don't even know any more, E. I was so worked up that I guess I forgot that I have you and Jay and Carlos to set me straight."

"Are you ill?" Evie asked, still confused from the sudden lack of argument.

Mal glared at Evie. "E, I'm being serious. I guess I was worked up over nothing."

Evie smiled. "Oh, M. It's not nothing. You had the right to be a little worked up, but you just were over thinking everything."

Mal thought about that. "Ugh, I don't know why I'm so scared to tell Ben. What if he is mad at me? He did say he wanted to wait."

Evie sat down next to her. "I know Ben, and he will be thrilled with the news. Yes, it's going to be scary and yes, it's going to be difficult but Mal, you have me and the boys and Ben all to help you through. Not to mention, you guys have nine months to prepare for it."

Sighing, Mal nodded. "I guess you're right. Again. But-"

Evie put a finger over Mal's lips. "I could argue about this with you till the pixies come home but I have work to do and so do you. Ben needs to know and trust me. He's going to be so happy."

Mal nodded. "Can you..." she paused for a second. "Can you come with me to tell him?"

Evie placed a hand over her best friend's. "As much as I'd love to, I think it's important that you do this on your own. Okay?"

With a sigh, Mal nodded. "Fine."

"Now. You have given me a new idea for my fashion business. A line of baby clothes! And we need to discuss outfits for the baby shower, and the public announcement and," Evie gasped with excitement. "I could start a line of maternity clothes. So you can wear things that fit while your pregnant and still look fabulous!"

Mal laughed as her friend dragged her around the shop, looking at different materials.

"As much fun as that sounds, Evie, I need to tell Ben. I should probably go."

Evie stopped her, "Let me clean you up first."

So ten minutes later, Mal stepped out of Evie's 4 Hearts, her face now clean of any evidence that she'd been crying and a bit of make-up applied.

Evie gave her a ride back to Castle Beast, claiming that she didn't have any appointments until two so she could easily get back in time.

After a quick goodbye to her friend, Mal took a deep breath and walked into the castle. She smiled at all the servants she passed and eventually made it to her room. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly, before entering the room. Ben was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands.

"Hey." She said softly. Ben looked up, obviously relieved.

"Thank goodness you're okay." he said, standing up. "When you weren't here when I got back for my lunch break, I was beginning to get worried. I know you haven't been feeling well so I came to check on you and-"

"Ben, I need to talk to you." Mal cut him off.

Ben frowned slightly and gestured for her to go on. Mal grabbed his hand and sat him down on the bed.

"Mal, is everything okay?" Ben asked, concerned and a little confused by his wife's behaviour.

"That depends what your point of view is." Mal replied, looking him in the eye.

"What do you mean?" Ben was really worried now.

"Ben. I'm pregnant."

It took Ben a few seconds to register what she said. He just stared at her blankly.

"Ben? Ben, please say something!" Mal pleaded.

"Pregnant? I'm going to be a father?" he asked, his voice full of shock.

Mal nodded. "Are you not happy? Oh no, you're mad aren't you? I knew this would happen." she turned her head away from him.

Ben laughed. "Mad? Of course I'm not mad. Mal, I'm over the moon! I'm going to be a father!" He stood up, taking Mal in his arms and swung her around, laughing with delight. Mal let out a shriek of laughter. "We're going to be parents!"

Ben put Mal down and kissed her, long and hard. When they parted, Mal smiled at him. "I guess you're happy then?"

"I'm more than happy. Are you?" Ben asked, a little concerned that Mal may not be as excited as he was.

Mal nodded, tears of joy springing to her eyes. "Now that I know you are, yes. I am really happy."

Ben kissed her again before crouching down and kissing her stomach. "Hey little one." he said, looking lovingly at Mal's flat stomach. "I'm your daddy. And I'm going to be the best daddy I can be, okay?"

Mal smiled at her husband. "You're going to be a great daddy."

Ben stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. "And you're going to be the best mummy this world has ever seen."

He caught her lips with his. When they broke apart, Ben rested his forehead on hers. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"And I love our baby as well." Ben added, placing his hand on her stomach.

"Me too." Mal agreed, before wrapping her arms around him.

They stood there for a while, just holding each other and dreaming of the future they'll have together with their child.

 **Whoo! Another update and so soon after the last. I am proud of me.**

 **Okay, that's enough tooting my own horn for now. Thank you so much to hopeconquers for suggesting that I do an AU with Mal telling Evie first. I'm not sure if you wanted the Ben scene at the end or not but I can never resist writing a bit of Bal.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Amateurwriterintraining: I completely agree, I love oneshots for that reason. And don't worry. There is plenty of Bal on the way.**

 **Guest: Ugh, I hate saying no to my readers but no, sorry. Have you read the intro? It'll explain why in there.**

 **Please keep reviewing! I love reading what you guys have to say. And if you have anything bad to say, don't be afraid to say it. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	14. Confrontation (Harry and Evie)

The sky was a murky grey and the streets were cluttered and crowded. Evie hugged her jacket closer to her as she tried to make her way through the Isle without being spotted. She had to talk to Yen Sid about a batch of new VK's. The conversation was easier face to face, as things could easily be miscommunicated through messages and there was no phone service on the Isle, so they decided to meet up at Yen Sid's place so they could talk. On the way she managed to go fairly unnoticed. Or so she thought.

Harry Hook had watched her since she got out of the limo, which they had hidden only just outside the barrier. He was curious as to what she was doing back on the Isle so he followed her, managing to keep out of her sight the whole time.

He did at one point lose her when she slipped off into an alley that had so many turns in it that by the time he got there, she was gone. Harry decided to wait out of sight, behind a box of crates for her to come back.

About an hour later she did, looking nervously over her shoulder the whole time.

"Well, well, well." Harry said, coming out of his hiding place, looking the blue haired princess up and down while stroking his hook. "Lookee what we have here."

"Harry." Evie clenched her fists and glared at him. One of her hands slowly made their way into her heart shaped purse that hung by her side.

"What are you doing here, princess?" Harry asked in his Scottish drawl. "Shouldn't you be frolicking about, betraying your family in Auradon?"

"Auradon is my family now, Hook. I'm not betraying anyone." Her hand clasped around the item she was looking for.

Harry walked over to her, in his slow, graceful almost feline walk. "Really? Tell that to mummy dearest."

"Mom is here because she deserved to be. I had no choice. Is it really betrayal if you didn't have a choice in the first place? Sounds more like escape to me." Evie said, trying to inch away from him.

"Escape? Oh don't act as though your life was so hard, Princess." He reached out to her and placed his hook under her chin. "You were the fairest of them all. You had more than the rest of us ever had."

Evie jerked her head away from him and backed up. "Yet, I was still a prisoner."

"Why did you come back?" Harry inquired, walking closer to her.

Evie stared him in the eye. "I want to help those who feel trapped and deserve a chance at a new life."

Harry scoffed. "We're villains." he cried, walking around her. "None of us deserve the chance according to Auradon."

"Not all of us are villains, Harry." Evie said, standing still, poised, ready to attack if necessary. "And you don't have to be either."

Harry laughed. "Maybe I don't. But it's so. Much. Fun." He dragged the side of his hook over her chin again. Evie grabbed it, stopping it's movements, and glared at him.

"I didn't think there was any convincing you. Leave me alone, Harry and I won't bother you again."

"You really think I'm going to just let you waltz back to your perfect life in Auradon?" Harry said, staring her in the face, his sly smirk spread across his own. "Not a chance."

"Let me go, Hook." Evie said, as Harry grabbed her arm.

Harry stared at her, "No, I think I'll keep you. After all, I may not have been able to hook a King but a princess will do just as well."

Evie glared at him before smiling. "Ah, Harry. Your one weakness." she said.

Harry raised his eyebrow at her.

Evie leaned in and whispered. "You have a tendency to get to close to your victims." before bringing her knee up, lightning quick, and kneeing him in the groin. He let go of her and fell over with a cry of pain.

She pulled the item she'd been holding onto out of her bag and sprayed his face with it. He was out like a light.

"You always did underestimate me." She murmured before quickly running off to the limo.

By the time Harry awoke, Evie was long gone. The limo had already reached Auradon and Evie was reporting the information she had gathered to Ben.

Harry got up and headed back to his ship, where he looked out at Auradon.

"Mark my words princess, you will be one of the first to get my hook."

 **Sorry this one is short. Wasn't sure what to do with it but I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.**

 **Thank you to the guest who requested Hevie**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: (Chapter 12) I am so glad you loved it. I quite enjoyed writing it. (Chapter 13) She was, wasn't she? I think I was feeling emotional when I wrote it so I poured that all into Mal. Also YASSSS. BroTP! (Or what ever they call it for female friendships)**

 **Guest: Awww, thanks. I love them too. :)**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	15. Losing Control (Ben x Mal)

**This is a continuation of 'Sick'**

The sunlight poured into the room as the blue haired princess pulled the curtains back. The warm golden glow filled the room and softly hit the bluenette's face. Evie took a deep breath and smiled. She opened a window to let some fresh air in and went about her day, grabbing her books for school and tidying up her messy work desk a bit (she'd been up late sewing a new blouse for one of her customers).

Once she was finally ready, she went over to her friend who'd burrowed herself in her blankets.

"Mal." she shook the purple haired faerie's shoulder. "M, wake up. I'm going to get breakfast."

The purplette groaned and burrowed herself deeper. "

Evie stood up straight and crossed her arms. "Don't make me go and tell Ben that you're too tired to try and get up today."

Mal pushed the duvet out of the way so that her face was showing. "No...he'll worry and think I'm sick again." she moaned.

"Then sit up and I'll go get you some breakfast." Evie said, in a rather motherly tone. Mal grumbled but obeyed.

"Strawberries and yoghurt." she requested when Evie asked what she wanted. Evie nodded and headed out to go get them breakfast.

Meanwhile, Mal looked out the window and watched some of her classmates pass by. She sighed heavily. The doctor told her she only had to be in bed for two weeks. Luckily, those two weeks would be over tomorrow, if the doctor gives his say so. She groaned again and slammed her head back into the pillows.

There was a knock at the door, so Mal sat up and called for them to come in. Ben walked in with a smile on his face and a bowl of yoghurt and strawberries.

Mal smiled back at him. "Hey. I see you took the job off of Evie. Just couldn't stay away, could you?"

"From you?" Ben asked, handing her the bowl and sitting down on the bed at her feet. "Never."

Mal gratefully took the food and began eating slowly. Ben made himself comfortable by her feet and watched her eat, not saying anything, just smiling at her. He was so, so happy that she was here. She had been incredibly ill and he was terrified that she wouldn't make it. But she did and she was getting stronger everyday. But that didn't stop Ben from worrying about her. He was ready to spring into action with every cough and every groan, constantly making sure she was okay and doing everything in his power to keep her in his sight.

Mal looked at him halfway through bringing a spoonful up to her lips. She raised her eyebrow at him and put the spoon back in the bowl. "Don't look at me like that Ben. Please."

Ben blinked and smiled at her, slightly confused. "Like what?"

"Like I'm a porcelain doll, who may break any moment. I'm fine. I can walk around with no pain and I can stand for more than ten minutes without needing to sit down." She explained, putting the bowl to one side. She took Ben's hands in her own and looked at him in the eye. "You don't need to worry, Ben. I'm getting stronger."

Ben nodded, although he was still not so sure whether he believed her.

Mal grabbed the food again and began eating. Ben watched her closely, just in case something happened and she suddenly fell ill again.

"So, how have you been feeling?" Ben asked, once she finished her food.

"Bored as hell." she replied, "I can't wait until tomorrow. I just want to leave this room and go back to school."

"If the doctor gives his say so." reminded Ben.

"Ugh." Mal sat back against the mass of pillows beneath her, "He'd better. I can't stand another day of this." Suddenly there was a flash of emerald green in her eyes and the bowl in her hand exploded everywhere.

Mal screamed in shock and Ben jumped off the bed in surprise.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, immediately rushing over to her and grabbing her hands, checking for any cuts or wounds.

Mal nodded. "I think so. What in Auradon just happened?" she wondered out loud.

Ben shrugged, as he began checking the rest of her for cuts.

"Ben. Ben I'm fine." said Mal, pushing his hands gently off her face as he studied it to make sure she was okay. "I'm just in a bit of shock from whatever just happened."

"You must have gripped it too hard or something." reasoned Ben, gently placing his hand on her arm.

Mal nodded. "Yeah, that must be it." She said, slowly wrapping her arms around herself, although she sounded like she was trying to convince herself that that is what happened. She looked at the fragments on her lap, hugging herself. Ben rubbed her arm comfortingly and went to grab a dustpan and brush. Mal didn't say anything as he cleared up the fragments; she just sat there and watched him do it, keeping her arms wrapped around herself.

"It was an accident Mal." Ben said softly, as he sat down next to her again. "It happens."

Mal nodded, subconsciously. She kept staring at the spot where the bowl broke. Ben watched her carefully, trying to work out if she was going to be okay. He glanced quickly at his watch.

"Mal, I have to go. I'm sorry. Are you going to be okay? You seem a bit shaken up."

Mal blinks, holding her lids down for half a second before looking at Ben with a smile. She hummed her conformation. "I'll be fine."

He quickly kissed her forehead before getting up and leaving, waving at her as he closed the door behind him. She waved back with a sweet, loving smile.

Once the door was closed, Mal sank back into the pillows again. She fiddled with the ring on her finger for a bit. She sighed and dropped with her arms on either side of herself. She glanced over to the mirror on Evie's make-up desk. She caught her reflection in it as she stared at it. She looked tired, hair slightly dishevelled, and dark circles under her eyes. Mal sighed again as she stared her reflection, wondering how she could possibly look exhausted if all she did was stay in bed, when the mirror suddenly shattered and flew in all directions. Mal ducked and pulled the covers over her head. It didn't do much good as she still got a shard in her leg. Mal let out a yelp of pain as she pulled the shard out of her leg. The cut wasn't to deep so she figured she could leave it with out too much problems.

Evie suddenly burst into the room. "Mal! Are you okay? I heard you cry out in pain."

She stopped when she saw the glass all over the room. "What happened?"

Mal, who's eyes shone with tears, shook her head. She wasn't sure what was happening. But she knew she saw her eyes flash just before the mirror shattered.

Evie carefully made her way over to Mal and looked at her injury.

"We made need to get that checked." she decided, "Can you stand?"

Mal shook her head, "I'm fine E, I don't need a doctor."

Evie gave Mal a stern look. "It's better to be safe than sorry. Come on."

"No, I'm okay." Mal insisted.

"Mal, we're going." Evie took Mal's arm to help her up.

"I said, no!" And with the last word, Evie went flying back and smacked into the wardrobe before crumpling to the floor.

"Evie?" Mal cried out, "EVIE!"

Mal stumbled out of bed and limped over to her friend. "No, no, no, Evie, come on. Wake up, please!"

Evie lay on the ground unmoving.

"HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE!" Mal screamed, as she got up, backing away from her friend.

The door burst open and a few girls ran in.

"What's wrong?" One of them asked before noticing Evie "Amy, call the ambulance." she ordered turning to one of the other girls, "Maggie, get Fairy Godmother and Lena, stay with Mal."

Mal stood with her back against the wall, crying her eyes out, staring horrified at her friend's seemingly lifeless body. The girl who had taken control, Samantha, Mal remember, knelt by Evie and checked her pulse.

"She's alive." Samantha confirmed, turning to Mal, who backed away when Lena tried to go near her.

Lena tried to touch her arm but Mal jerked it away.

"Stay away from me." Mal begged softly through her tears.

"Hey, hey. Evie's going to be fine." Lena said trying to comfort Mal.

"Please." Mal pleaded, inching away from Lena and towards the door. "Please, just stay away. I'm a monster."

"No, no of course not." Lena replied kindly. "You're not a monster at all."

Mal's eyes flashed green again and her arms thrust outwards as if pushing something away from her. The clothes, bedding and any other loose cloth lying around suddenly shot upwards and began flying everywhere.

Samantha, Lena and Amy, who had just got off the phone from the ambulance, let out shrieks of surprise and tried to fend off the clothes, pillows and blankets that started flying at their faces. Mal stared at what happened in utter shock. What was happening? What was wrong with her? She turned around and ran out of the room, trying to get as far away from people as possible, as fast as her injured leg would allow her.

The Fairy Godmother and Maggie arrived a few minutes later and as soon as she saw what was happening, Fairy Godmother managed to do a simple reverse enchantment without her wand to stop the flying clothes. However, this left her tired as it was difficult to perform magic without an instrument to help at her age. Despite her sudden fatigue, Fairy Godmother began tending to Evie until the ambulance arrived. Evie was rushed into to hospital and Fairy Godmother sent the four girls to go alert various people about the situation.

When Samantha had finished explaining what had happened to Ben, he all but sprinted out of his office, heading off to find Mal. He knew that Jay and Carlos would head straight to Evie so she had company, and Mal needed him. She must be so scared right now.

He ran past his bemused dad, yelling that Mal needs him, which Beast took as a sign that he should try and take over anything that needed doing for a bit.

Ben clambered onto his scooter and, after noticing that Mal's scooter was gone, drove off to go find her. He searched everywhere he could think of: the Enchanted lake, the museum, the art centre, all and any place they had been together or where he knew she felt safe. He looked high and low for her. He drove down roads and up dirt paths and through a forest where he eventually saw her scooter crashed into a tree and a trail of blood leading away from it. Ben skidded to a stop and got off, following the trail, his heart in his throat.

"Mal!" He called, stumbling through the woods. "Mal!"

The trail stopped, meaning she had probably found a way to stop the flow of blood. If it was even her blood.

"Mal!" He kept searching, looking for things such as broken branches or footprints. He finally found an imprint of a shoe, about Mal's size, in a really muddy area of the forest. He followed the direction the foot was pointing, calling for Mal the whole time. "Mal!"

Normally, he would be admiring the beauty of the forest, the green trees overhead and the blue sky just visible through the branches, the wild flowers that grow all over the forest floor and the beautiful sound of the wildlife. But with Mal in potential danger, it seemed almost threatening. The trees loomed over him and blocked out the sky, the twigs and roots seemed to constantly be placed perfectly for him to trip over and the bark that normally felt fascinating under his fingertips felt as rough and unpleasant.

"Mal!" He cried out desperately. He finally saw her, sitting under a tree, her head in her hands. "Mal." He sighed with relief as he approached her. Mal looked up and saw him.

"Don't come any closer, Ben." She warned, holding her hands up and standing up. "I might hurt you."

Ben inched forward. "It's okay, Mal. You're not going to hurt me."

"I can't control it Ben!" she exclaimed, agonizingly. "I can't control any of it."

She held her clasped hands next to her heart, as though keeping them there was the only way to keep others save. Her eyes shone with tears.

"Ben, please. Go. I don't want to hurt you." Mal cried, turning away from her true love. "Please just go!"

"No." Ben said, gently. "I won't leave you, no matter what."

"But you have to. I could hurt you. I hurt Evie!" Mal exclaimed turning back to the brown haired king.

Ben sighed softly. "I know, Mal. But she's going to be okay. No one holds it against you."

"But what if I kill someone next time?" Mal's voice had quietened. "What if I kill Jay? Or Carlos? Or Lonnie? Or Jane? Or, worst of all, what if I kill you?"

"You won't kill anyone, Mal. I promise." Ben replied, reaching out his hand slightly, as if about to touch her. He inched forward again.

"How can you know that?!" She yells.

"Because I know you, Mal. We'll get through this. Just please let me come to you."

Mal stared at him for a bit before shaking her head, backing away. "No. Please don't come any nearer. I don't want to hurt you."

"Mal, you're hurt. Please, let me help you." Ben walked closer. Mal limped back again.

"Please Ben! Leave me alone." She thrust her hands out as though to stop him from getting closer. Her eyes glowed green and purple smoke started gushing from her hands, clouding Ben's vision.

Coughing and hacking, Ben emerged from the fog, to see Mal collapsed on the ground, shaking like she was having a seizure.

"Mal. No, no, no." Ben picked his shaking girlfriend up. She was shaking so much that he struggled to keep hold of her but he managed, he was guessing because of adrenaline. He rushed her to the scooters, trying to keep her still. He couldn't get her onto either of the scooters, so he lays her on the ground before calling Jay. He told Jay what happened and asked him to find a doctor who specialised in magic and tell him what was happening. He told Jay where to find one so Jay hung up and went to find them.

As Ben waited, Mal finally stopped shaking. She still wouldn't wake up though and Ben was scared at what may be happening to his true love. She had only just started getting better after nearly dying because of a faerie disease and now she couldn't control her magic causing her to hurt herself and others. She was scared and she didn't know what she was doing. And there was no way they could know what was going on.

Finally, they heard a car drive through the forest road, and Jay stepped out of the car once it stopped, with an old man who had a short, white beard and a balding head. They ran over to Ben and Mal.

"Your Majesty." The doctor bowed before gesturing for Jay to pick Mal up and put her in the car. Ben grabbed his scooter and linked his to Mal's with a spare rope he had under the scooter seat. Jay and the doctor drove to the doctors house, Ben following on with the scooters. They parked outside of a small bungalow, with white walls and a very green front lawn. Jay got out of the car and carried Mal into the house, Ben and the doctor following on. The magic doctor told Jay to lay her on the kitchen table.

"Has she been ill at all lately?" The doctor asked, grabbing some strange looking instruments from a draw across from him and laying them on the table as well.

"Yes. She had some sort of faerie disease? It nearly killed her."

"I thought so." He began examining Mal. He took some blood from her and placed it inside a strange looking glass bottle, that appeared to be every shape and yet no shape at all at the same time. "Hmmmm." He poured the blood, which had changed colour to a pale purple, into a different bottle. This one looked like a normal beaker except it was a translucent green. Ben and Jay stared confused at him.

"Okay, what are you doing with my sister's blood?" Jay asked finally, getting worried that this man was a fraud and was just doing random stuff.

"Examining it." The doctor replied simply before pouring the blood back onto the spot where it had come from. "As I thought. The faerie disease caused her magic to be neutralised. But as soon as she got better, that magic began building up inside of her until it just burst out."

"Well, is she going to be okay? Is there any way to stop it?" Ben inquired.

"She'll be fine for now. But as for stopping the magic, I'm afraid that may be difficult. Only incredibly powerful magic may be able to cure this, and, while I specialise in magical maladies, I am afraid I do not have magic strong enough for this."

Ben crumpled into the kitchen chair nearby and put his head in his hands. "Merlin!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Merlin has incredibly powerful magic!"

"But Camelot Heights is a long journey," Jay reasoned. "Something may happen to Mal on the way."

"We have to do something." Ben exclaimed. "We can't just leave her like this. She's terrified of herself!"

"I don't want to any more than you do. But what choice do we have, Ben?" Jay asked.

Ben paced the floor. "We have to find some sort of magic to help her. Anything. Jay, do you have magic?"

Jay raised his eyebrow. "Me? Why the hell would I have magic?"

"Your dad was a sorcerer!" Ben yelled.

"When he had a staff!" Jay yelled back.

"Shhh!" The doctor shushed the boys, looking at Mal, who eyes were opening.  
"Mal!" Both boys rushed to her side.

Mal groans and sits up, looking around the room slowly before panic covered her face. "Get away! I could hurt you."

The doctor placed his hand on Mal to stop from getting frantic. He grabbed a herb and placed it on her injured leg, which instantly healed. "I am a magic doctor. Come with me. I have a secure room that you can stay in. There is nothing in there that will hurt you or anybody else."

Mal nodded. "Take me there, please. I don't want to hurt anyone."

The doctor nodded kindly and taking her away, stopping the boys who tried to follow.

"It's best if you leave her. Now, go see if you can find anyone who may be able to help."

"Merlin?" Ben asked, turning to Jay. Jay nodded and went to leave.

"That may not be enough." The doctor said, returning. "I'm not sure if Merlin would be able to get close enough. I'm guessing she doesn't know him very well and that could cause the magic to want to get out faster."

Ben shook his head. "She's met him before. He helped us with the Madam Mim problem."

The doctor nodded. "It may work. However, I suggest sending someone else. It may be best if you guys were available in case there is some sort of change in Mal. I've placed her in a room that has a barrier, like the one over the Isle. I hope it'll keep her safe enough, but you never know."

Ben agreed and asked if he could go see her. He was allowed. Mal stood in a room, which had nothing but a simple bed in it, and a window in the door. Her back was turned to the door.

"Hey." he said.  
"Ben, please. Go away. I don't want to hurt you." Mal said, not looking at him

"Mal." he pleaded

"Please, Ben. Just let me be."

Ben agreed and left, shrugging at Jay who asked how she was. His phone started ringing so he picked up. "Hey Carlos."

"Evie's awake and asking for you guys. I tried to call Jay but he left his phone with me."

"On our way. Evie's awake." Ben said to Jay. They quickly left, taking Ben's scooter. The hospital was a short distance from the doctor's house so they managed the journey in under two minutes.

They went up to Evie's room and sat with her.

"How's Mal?" Was the first question she asked. Ben explained what happened and when he got to the bit about needing Merlin because they need incredibly powerful magic, she actually leaned over and smacked Ben over the head.

"OW! What the hell, Evie?"

"Incredibly powerful magic and you go for _Merlin?_ You have the most powerful magic of all in you."

Ben looked at her confused as did the other two boys.

"Ben has magic?" Carlos whispered to Jay.

Evie groaned.

"You are so thick. True love's kiss!" she exclaimed.

Realisation went over all three boys faces.

"But she won't let me near her."

Evie shrugged. "Maybe if you explain it to her, she'll let you close."

"I guess." Ben sat back slightly.

"Why are you still here? Go!" Evie exclaimed. "I'm fine, I'm out tomorrow, now go get my sister back."

Ben nodded and ran out of the room, grabbing his scooter going straight to the magic doctor's.

"I found a quicker solution." Ben explains briefly after bursting through the front door. The doctor shakes his head, muttering about knocking not being a thing any more. Ben didn't hear him and headed straight to Mal's room. "Mal let me in."

"I told you to go away, Ben."

"Mal I have the cure."

Mal looked up and saw the sincerity in Ben's eyes. "Already?"

"Evie found it."

"She's okay?"

Ben nodded. This was enough for Mal to unlock the door. She stepped away from the door and nodded.

Ben walked in and headed straight for her. Mal tried to back away but Ben grabbed her arms and kissed her, hard. His hands move to her waist and pin her there.

Mal was in shock and didn't kiss back but eventually she does, putting her arms around his neck. Purple smoke seeped slowly out of her fingers but not like it did in the forest. This smoke was lighter and less draining. Neither Ben or Mal noticed, getting lost in the kiss. The doctor, on the other hand saw the smoke leave the room.

"Well done." He said, approaching the room. Mal and Ben jumped back from each other in shock when they heard the voice. "Ah, true love's kiss. Of course. I'll leave you guys be. The excess magic that was causing the problems is gone now, by the way."

Ben and Mal smiled and hugged each other tightly.

"Everything's okay now." Ben whispered. Mal nodded and together they headed to the hospital where they got a lot of 'I told you so' from Evie.

Mal got better and was able to go about her life as normal. What happened to her was always in the back of her mind and she was afraid to do so much as touch Evie for a while. But eventually she got over that, although the guilt never truly left her.

Ben kept a close an eye on Mal. He wanted her to be okay and always did everything in his power to make sure that happened. And he always did. Mal couldn't have asked for anyone better and she was so glad she had him because losing control of her magic was not fun and it was painful and if this amazing man wasn't there for her, she'd never have made it out alive and others may have gotten hurt because of it. But she was lucky enough to have him and of course, her friends who never gave up on her, even after she sent them flying into a wall. She took it upon herself to care for her friend, even long after she got better. Evie found this entirely amusing and just let Mal fuss over her.

Mal never lost control of her magic again but she definitely didn't do so much as a hair changing spell for a while. But that was okay. It meant she could get used to being an ordinary mortal. Who happened to be dating a king.

 **Okay, so this one feels a bit rushed, I'm sorry. Thank you SusieBeast for prompting this one. I hope it lived up to your expectations.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I don't really either which is why I portray them as enemies. Glad you liked it though**

 **EvelynGrim142: Yasss. Bal for life. And thanks!**

 **Eli201: Awww, thank you!**

 **xez2003: Yasss Bal = 4ever!**

 **ALSO! Before you guys leave I have something important to say.**

 **It's been exactly a month since I released this book and I have written 14 oneshots since then. To some people, this may not seem like that much but to me it's LOADS. And I can't have done it without all you guys and your constant support (and prompts of course) I love you guys so much. So, in celebration, I have created a Instagram account dedicated to the fanfiction. I know that it sounds stupid and ridiculous but this has become a massive part in my life so, you know, I thought it'd be a fun thing to do.**

 **I'm not expecting anyone to actually follow it but if you want to it's sparkygurl227. If you message me your favourite oneshot of mine, I'll follow you back. You can also message me your penname so I am aware of who you are on here if you so wish.**

 **As I said, I don't expect anyone to follow, but if you want to, the option is there.**

 **Love you guys so much**

 **SparkyGurl**


	16. New Life (Sea Three)

It was a beautiful day in Auradon. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the trees swayed in the gentle breeze. The air itself seemed to be alive with the chatter of people who were going to and from shops, greeting each other.

On the Isle of the Lost however, it was a very different story.

The grey skies seemed even greyer than normal. And the atmosphere just felt like something was going to blow up very soon. Well, that wasn't too far from the truth, at all.

"What?!" Uma exclaimed, whipping around to her mother. "What do you mean I've been invited to Auradon!"

Ursula flicked a tentacle at her daughter. "That you've been invited to Auradon. Gosh, are you stupid as well as useless?"

Uma glared at her mother. "You know what I meant. Why would they invite me?"

Ursula shrugged. "Who cares? You're going. And then you can get free me so I can get my revenge on that stupid little mermaid."

Uma groaned and through her hands in the air. "Fine! I'll go!" She stormed out to go find Harry Hook, her first mate and tell him the news.

Yelling at a few people on deck, Uma made her way across the ship to the captain's quarters, where Harry and Gil were talking.

Uma slammed the door open and stormed inside. She kicked over a chair, yelling in frustration.

"Calm down." Harry said, standing up and approaching his captain. "What's up with you then?"

"I've been invited to go to Auradon." Uma said, with a 'sweet' voice. "And Mom is making me go." She slumped down on her bunk and slammed her head into the pillow.

"Oh, so we won't go alone then, Harry." Gil piped up.

Harry whirled around and glared at Gil. Uma sat up and looked at him bemused. "You guys were invited too?"

"Not how I would have told you, but yes. We've been invited." Harry turned back to Uma. "We're not going without you though."

Uma sat up straight. "Good thing I'm being forced to go. Pack your things guys, we're going to Auradon!"

Harry and Gil cheered in agreement.

So, the following morning, after the limo arrived. Before they could get in though, Evie and Mal stepped out, as well as someone no one expected.

"CJ?" Harry asked, walking forward. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought it be nice for a friendly face to say hi, big brother!" CJ replied.

Harry raised his eyebrow. "Since when do you go to Auradon. I knew you escaped but I didn't realise you-"

"As much as we'd love to stay and chat," Mal said, interrupting as the villains began getting closer to her and Evie, "We'd better get going. Get in, everyone, let's go, let's go." She pushed the Sea Three in, their bags having already been put in the boot.

Once the limo was well on it's way, Mal let out a deep breath. "Okay, ground rules." She stopped as she looked at the new VK's who were poking the sweets curiously. "You know those aren't going to kill you right? They're sweets. Try some."

Gil happily dug in while Harry and Uma sat back and glared at Mal.

Mal took another deep breath. "Okay, I know you guys hate me. And believe me, the feeling is mutual."

Evie smacked Mal's arm and shook her head. Mal glared at Evie and sighed. "Fine. Was mutual. But Ben said something to me after he saved me and he's right. He said that all you were, Uma, was an angry girl with a bad plan. Not much different from me when I first came to Auradon."

Uma raised her eyebrow. "Is that supposed to make me feel better about you?"

Mal shook her head. "All I'm saying is...that if I can change, so can you. I know you don't like me Uma but surely, whatever your mom has told you to do is not worth it? So, yes, you take over Auradon and let all the villains run amok. What then?"

Uma looked at Mal with careful consideration. "What do you mean? I'd have everything I want."

"So, killing people and destroying things makes you happy? Does it really fulfil your thirst for something more?" Mal questioned. "And Harry, are you sure hooking people makes you happy? Look I'm not expecting you to choose good right away. I am asking you to think about it rather than just rush in with whatever evil plan you had. Give Auradon a chance."

Uma and Harry glared at her while Gil shrugged. "Seems reasonable to me." He said, swallowing the sweets in his mouth. "What is this?" He asked, holding up a half eaten chocolate bar.

"Chocolate." Evie explained kindly, "It's Carlos's favourite."

Gil nodded appreciatively and continued to eat it, Uma and Harry looking at him with disgust.

"Now." Mal clapped her hands together. "Ground rules. Rule number 1: You obey any rules you have been given. Rule 2: Leave evil plotting to our parents."

"Ugh, enough already!" CJ exclaimed, getting bored. "Rules are boring!"

"But necessary. I can see why you're still failing Remedial Goodness." Evie laughed.

"Hey, I passed my smiling exam." CJ replied, "See?" She flashed Evie a dazzling smile.

"Nice. Not the point here. Mal, do you want to continue?"

Mal nodded. "Thanks Evie, Rule 3: You are not allowed to leave campus without a guardian until you pass all your Remedial Goodness exams. Including the practical. Which, by the way, you never realise is happening until you walk into class and get told your grade."

"And they think villains are creepy." Harry muttered.

"Rule 4," Mal continued, "and this is the most important rule of all: find what makes you happy. Don't be afraid to try new things and experiment. As long as no one gets hurt, you're bound to find something in Auradon."

Harry turned to his sister. "What did you find then?"

CJ smiled. "Drama club. I get to act, have dramatic entrances. It's great! Malsy here showed it to me after the Jewelbilee."

"You stayed and didn't cause trouble. It was the least I could do." Mal said. "Oh look, we're almost here."

The Sea Three looked out and saw loads of green trees roll by as they drove down the forest path. Once they were clear of the forest, they drove through a town of smiling people, who all went about their day, laughing with each other and greeting one another cheerfully.

"Welcome to Auradon Central. This is the state of Auradon in which the King lives." Evie explained.

They pulled up to a tall castle-like building that had a sign in front of it. 'Welcome to Auradon Prep. Goodness doesn't get any better.'

A bunch of cheering people lined the road to the entrance and by the statue in front of the school was a massive band as well as a crowd of cheering people. Despite what Uma did, they were all excited to see if she could change as well.

The limo pulled up to the entrance and Mal, Evie and CJ stepped out, followed by Harry, Uma and Gil. By the statue, stood Ben, Jane, and the Gaston Twins as well as Fairy Godmother, all ready to greet the new comers.

"Gil!" Gaston Jr exclaimed, running up to his younger brother. "You made it!" Gaston the Third also ran up and embraced his brothers in a big family bear hug. Mal smiled at the boys and went up to Ben, placing her hand in his.

"Hey." He whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. "Did it go well?"  
"Well, I'm still alive, aren't I?" Mal said, only half joking. "I think I may have begun to get through to them."

Ben smiled. "That's my girl. Natural born leader." He then turned to the newbies. "Welcome to Auradon. I'm Ben and we're so glad to finally be able to give you guys the chance to come to Auradon."

"We know who you are." Uma said, crossing her arms.

Ben laughed awkwardly. "Of course you do." He looked at Mal for help.

Mal rolled her eyes. "It's a new beginning for you, so we wanted to make it seem like a beginning rather than a continuation to a story that didn't start off very well."

Uma shrugged. "Whatever. I'm getting bored. Can we go in now?"

Ben nodded. "Of course. Jane?"

Jane smiled. "Hi guys, I'm Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter. I'll be showing you guys around and discussing class schedules with you."

Uma groaned and folded her arms. "Well lets get on with it."

Jane nodded and gestured inside with the hand that was not holding a clipboard.

Jane showed them to their dorms. Uma was rooming with Yzla, who was the only villain girl without a room mate so she happily agreed to room with Uma. Harry and Gil were in a dorm next to the Gaston twins.

A few weeks went by and Gil finally gathered the courage to tell his friends something.

"Guys?" He said, sitting down with them at lunch. "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Uma asked, peeling an orange.

"I umm...I choose good."

Uma sighed and put her orange down. "Really?"

Gil nodded. "I mean, being mean doesn't make me happy. I like the food and the girls love guys who are strong but are still gentlemen."

Uma looked at Harry, who was glaring at Gil. "So you'll betray your friends because of some girls?"

Gil shook his head. "I'm not betraying. I still want to be your friend. Just not part of your plan any more."

Uma shrugged and went back to peeling her orange. "We didn't have much of a plan anyway." She chucked the orange peel on the tray. "We have no way of getting my mom out."

"Why are you so desperate to get her out anyway?" a voice said behind them. The three of them jumped and turned to the voice. It was CJ.

"What has your mom ever done for you to make you want to let her out? And I have seen you in choir. You seem so much more happy there."

"Choir?" The boys turned to Uma.

"What? I have a powerful voice and I've been made a lead singer. Yzla signed me up after hearing me sing." Uma said, daring them to challenge her.

Gil shrugged and smiled while Harry raised his eyebrow. "So let me guess, you choose good too."

"I can still sing while I cause mass destruction." Uma answered.

Harry nodded. "True. CJ, why are you still here?"

CJ shrugged. "I don't know. Bye big bro!" A rope appeared out of nowhere and she swung away.

Harry rolled his eyes and went back to eating.

"So are we still friends?" Gil asked sheepishly.

Uma glared at him. "Whatever."

Mal and Ben were sitting a little ways away. They were watching the Sea Three to make sure they didn't cause trouble. Mal was munching on strawberries while Ben had slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay, where does that rope keep coming from?" Ben asked, confused as CJ swung away.

"I have no idea." Mal replied, laughing slightly. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Ben shrugged. Gil suddenly stood up and headed over to them.

"Hi Ben."

"Oh, hey Gil. Can I help you?" He asked removing his arm from Mal's shoulder and placing them in front of him, folded, looking rather professional.

"I choose good." Gil said simply.

Ben and Mal smiled at each other. "That's great, Gil. Do you want to sit down?" Ben gestured to the place in front of him. Mal gave Ben an annoyed look that both boys missed.

"No. I'm going back to my friends. I just thought you should know." and with that Gil left them.

Ben looked back at Mal who was still giving him an annoyed look. "What did I do?"

"First time I get to be alone with you in a week and you try to invite Gil to sit with us?"

Ben smiled apologetically. "I was being nice."

Mal smiled and rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, Bennyboo, you're too kind."

Ben laughed. "Well, I could start _chillin' like a villain_ a bit more if you want." Singing the chillin' like a villain bit.

Mal shook her head. "You're ridiculous. And don't you dare." She said, putting a hand over Ben's mouth before he could reference the song he sang her when under a love potion.

Back with the Sea Three, the kids were quietly discussing Auradon.

After a month and half of being in Auradon something unexpected happened. The school was in assembly and the choir had just finished a beautiful version of 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes' when Uma took the mike off one of the main singers.

"Excuse me, sorry. That was good guys. We did well, but I have an announcement. We just finished singing 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes' and I have something to say. Singing has always been a dream of mine. However, due to who my mom was, singing was banned. It reminded her of her failures. My mom, Ursula, sent me here to set her free, so that she can get her revenge. But I have decided that I don't want to do that." Uma took a deep breath. "I choose good. I choose to stay in Auradon and be good. Here I'm allowed to follow my passion and still be awesome either way. I've always wanted people to know my name and now rather than my name being associated with fear, I want it to be associated with my voice. So, yeah. I choose good!"

The whole auditorium erupted into cheers and clapping and stomping.

"UMA! UMA! UMA! UMA!" They began to chant her name. Uma waved and went back to her place with the school choir.

Harry watched, a look of disappointment on his face.

When they saw each other after the assembly, he just shook his head at her and walked away.

"Harry!" she called after him. Uma sighed and ran after him, her long turquoise flying behind her.

"What? You've betrayed me, Uma. What happened to 'We ride with the tide.'"

"The tide's changed Harry. And I found what I want. What do you want Harry?" Uma then turned on her heel and walked away.

Harry stared after her. What did make him happy? Following his captain's orders did but she wasn't his captain any more. He shrugged and headed back to his dorm. He lay on the bed, thinking.

"Hey Harry." Harry looked up. Freddie Facilier was standing in his doorway. "Ready?"

Harry nodded. He and Freddie had teamed up to start pranking people, although they were only allowed to do ones that wouldn't harm people, according to Freddie.

They headed out and placed the bucket of goo over a doorway to one of the classrooms so if anyone opened it, they would be covered in slimy, red goo. It came out with no problem, so it was harmless but the reactions were hilarious. Mr Deley walked up to his classroom door and opened it, immediately getting coated in the goo. Harry and Freddie laughed evilly and ran back to their dorms.

"That was brilliant." Harry said laughing. "What next?"  
"I have class next but we'll think of something at lunch time." Freddie waved goodbye to her friend and headedto her next class.

Harry watched her go and sighed. He was about to go into his dorm when CJ swung down in front of him.

"Guess what big bro?" she said, happily. "I just got asked on a daaate." she said sing-songing the last bit.

"A date? With who?" Harry asked, looking suspicious.

CJ smirked. "A guy from my drama club. He's so cute! And he's just as hooked on dramatic entrances as I am." She said rather dreamily.

"Who are his parents?" Harry inquired.

"Some villagers. Does it matter?" CJ replied.

Harry nodded. "I want to know he's good for you."

"Awww, you care." CJ laughed and swung away, yelling. "I'll bring him to meet you. Hold on."

Harry stood there thinking about what she said. Did he care? Maybe he did. But in Auradon he was allowed to.

CJ came swinging in with her date. "This is him."

Harry looked him up and down and grabbed his shirt. "Hurt my little sister, and I hook you, okay?"

The boy nodded, looking at him with fear. "I have no intention of hurting her."

"You better not." Harry growled before letting go of him. "Hmm. Fine. But be back by curfew."

"We're going out at three. We'll be back before dinner." CJ then took her date's hand and they swung out again.

"So you care, huh?" Harry whipped around to see Uma standing there. "That's not something you're allowed to do on the Isle."

Harry looked her in the eye. "I guess not. But first, let's get some things straight. I will not be a goody two shoes."

Uma laughed. "You being a goody two shoes? That'd be the day. Keep pranking with Freddie. As long as they're harmless. I don't what I'd do if you were sent back to the Isle."

Harry nodded his agreement. "And secondly, I can still call you captain."

"Done." Uma held out her hand. Harry took it before using it pull her closer.

"Now that we're in Auradon," Harry said softly. "I have something to tell you that I would never had said on the Isle." He leaned down so that his lips were by her ear. "I love you captain."

Uma smiled widely and whispered back. "I love you too, my first mate."

Harry grinned and smashed his lips to Uma's. Uma responded eagerly.

If his new life meant he could do this, then he didn't mind.

 **Okay, I promise this was meant to be all three of them. But I love Huma. Thank you Owllover34 for the prompt and a very special thank you to Grace for helping me with this one.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you!**

 **Eli201: You're so sweet!**

 **Grace: Thanks!**

 **xez2003: Yay!**

 **Guest: I am so glad you don't mind waiting. I promise they're on the list but it's a long list XD**

 **SusieBeast: Awww. Thanks!**

 **EvelynGrim142: YASSS BAL IS LIFE! Also, thank you! You're so lovely.**

 **I felt so much love from you guys for the last oneshot.**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	17. I Love You (Jay x Lonnie)

The evening rolled around in Auradon. It was a calm night, with barely a breath of wind and the stars beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky.

Jay and Lonnie were in the boy's dorm room, watching a movie together, lying on Jay's bed. Lonnie was snuggled into Jay's chest and Jay had his arm wrapped securely around Lonnie's shoulders, half sitting up against the headboard. Carlos had left a little while ago, he was taking Jane for a beautiful, moonlit dinner and wouldn't be back for a while as it was on the other side of town.

The movie ended and Lonnie smiled, snuggling closer to Jay as he reached over to the remote and turned the TV off. Jay looked down at the girl resting her head on his chest with a smile. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Lonnie looked up at him and smiled sleepily. They lay there for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying one another's presence, cuddled up close together.

"Jay?" Lonnie asked, looking up at him again.

"Hmm?" He turned his head so he was facing his beautiful girlfriend.

"I love you." Three words, three words and that's all it took to shock Jay into speechlessness.

"Uh..." Jay stared at Lonnie, wide eyed, and began stumbling over his words. Lonnie placed a hand gently on his chest.

"Don't force yourself, Jay." she said, smiling sweetly at him. "If you're not ready to say it, don't."

Jay smiled back at her, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Lonnie. I-"

"Don't explain yourself, Jay. I just wanted you to know that I love you, you don't have to say it back."

Jay nodded, he then shifted himself so his whole body was on it's side, facing Lonnie. Lonnie rolled onto her side as well. Jay smiled at her before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his. Lonnie eagerly kissed back as well, placing her hands behind his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. As Jay deepened the kiss, Lonnie's hands went up into his hair and tangled themselves there. Jay's hands moved up to the small of her back and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss even further. His tongue darted out and licked her lips, asking for access which she granted by parting her lips ever so slightly. They're tongues began to wrestle, each trying to assert their dominance. Jay won and let his tongue explore her mouth. Lonnie moaned into the kiss and pulled herself as close to him as possible.

"WOAH!" A sudden voice yelled out. Lonnie and Jay leaped apart, Lonnie landing on the floor, hard.

"Carlos!" Jay exclaimed, getting of the bed to help Lonnie up. "What the hell man?"

"Me what the hell?" Carlos questioned, "I just got back from my date with Jane, I did not want to walk in to see my best friend making out with his girl!"

"Out!" Jay said, pointing to the door, before turning back to Lonnie. "You okay?"

Lonnie nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. But a less rude interruption next time?" She said, turning to Carlos who still hadn't left. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"It's my room." Carlos said.

Jay rolled his eyes. "Out. You can come back later."

"Yeah, when is later?"

Jay glared at Carlos.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." And with that Carlos left, shaking his head.

Jay looked at Lonnie apologetically. Lonnie, on the other hand just burst into laughter. "Did you see the look on his face."

Jay couldn't help but laugh as well. Both of them just laughed and laughed. When the laughter finally died down, Lonnie wiped away the tears in her eyes and looked at Jay, smiling.

Jay was just studying her, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lonnie asked.

"Nothing. I guess you're just so amazing. And beautiful. And I am so lucky to have you."

"Awww." Lonnie cooed, "Is big, scary Jay turning all mushy?"

Jay went bright red and looked down. "N-no." He stuttered.

Lonnie gave him a sympathetic look. "I was teasing, Jay. I don't mind mushy. I thought it was sweet." she grabbed his hand and held in her own small one. Jay looked back up at her and smiled again.

"Lonnie?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

 **Here you go Owllover34. I tried, I promise. This one made me slightly uncomfortable to write but yay me for stepping out of my comfort zone.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed it. Sorry it's short.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I'm so happy you loved it! And, again, thank you so much for helping me, I couldn't done it without you. I hope you enjoy this one just as much.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	18. Defending One Another (Carlos x Jane)

The castle-turned-school was buzzing with the chatter of students, who were all leaving their final class for the day. The long, curly haired, brunette fairy smiled as she headed over to her locker, her tan heels making a satisfactory click against the floor. She opened her locker and placed her books in there before grabbing her reading book and heading over to her favourite bench under an oak tree. As she sat down, a three-legged beagle came bounding over to her, yapping as she went.

"Hey Duchess." Jane said with a smile. The dog wagged her tail and sat next to Jane, panting and staring at her, tail thumping on the ground.

Jane spotted a nearby stick and picked it up. "You want the stick, girl? You want it? Go get it!" She chucked the stick as far as she could and Duchess took off, running after it as fast as her three legs would let her. Jane giggled, watching her little dog go.

"Cute dog." A deep voice said behind her. Jane turned a looked at the newcomer. It was a tall boy, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His complexion was pale and he wore a dark blue jacket over a white t-shirt, paired with a pair of dark grey jeans.

"Yeah." Jane agreed. "She's called Duchess. I got her a few weeks ago."

The boy nodded and sat down. "I'm Edward, by the way." He said, holding out his hand.

"Jane." Jane shook his hand and turned back to watching her dog, who was bounding back over with the stick. "Good girl!" Jane took the stick from Duchess and threw it again. "Go!"

Duchess barked and went after it, yapping happily.

"So, Jane?" Edward said, looking her up and down. "Does a pretty girl like you have a boyfriend?"

Jane smiled, thinking about her wonderful, white-haired boy, who loved her more than anything and whom she loved equally much, if not more. "I do, actually. You know Carlos De Vil?"

Edward let out a laugh. "You date a villain kid? Why?"

Jane gave him a look. "They're not just villain kids. They've chose good for one thing. And yes, I do. Because he's sweet, and amazing, and cute and so, so caring. In fact, he was the one who bought Duchess for me, just because I mentioned how I'd never had a pet before in my life."

Edward scoffed. "Sure. Because the son of Cruella De Vil keeps animals as pets."

"He does. He's the one who looks after the campus mutt, Dude."

Edward rolled his eyes and shifted closer to her. "Whatever. Still, surely you'd rather be with someone who is reliable?"

"He is very reliable, thank you." Jane said, getting uncomfortable. Edward moved even closer.

"Are you sure? Because I happen to be very reliable, and charming, and very good with the ladies."

Jane stood up. "It's been nice meeting you, but I have to go. My dog has run off." She made to go in the direction that Duchess went. Edward stood up and grabbed her arm.

"Don't be like that, babe. Surely a gorgeous girl like you has the sense to stay with someone who is raised a hero. Not some villain."

"Let me go." Jane said, trying to tug her arm out of his iron grip. This only made him grip harder. "Please, you're hurting me." Edward didn't seem to care and just pulled her closer.

Carlos saw Duchess wrestling with a stick and went to go to her when he saw something. Over in the small, secluded area where Jane liked to read, was Jane herself, as well as a tall blonde boy, sitting on the bench under the oak tree. Jane suddenly stood up from where she sitting and made to walk away but the boy grabbed her arm. Jane was obviously trying to fight him but couldn't seem to get loose. This made Carlos angry and he stormed over to Jane and the boy.

"Hey. Let go of my girlfriend." He said, staring the boy straight in the eye, asserting his dominance the way dogs do. The boy didn't seem intimidated and laughed.

"You're the infamous Carlos." he said, shaking his head with laughter. "Well, if she's really yours maybe you should hold on to her better."  
Jane was struggling hard, trying to get out of the boy's grip.

Clenching both his fists and his teeth, Carlos repeated himself. "Let. Her. Go."

"Hmm." The boy said in mock consideration. "Nah."

Carlos growled and in a split second noticed how off balance the boy was and so kicked his feet from under him. The boy let go of Jane in surprise as he crashed to the ground. Carlos pulled Jane away from the boy and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head in one hand and protectively wrapping his arm around her waist in the other.

"Did he hurt you?" He whispered, kissing her head. Before Jane could respond, Carlos was ripped from her arms and thrown to the ground. Edward had his hand wrapped around Carlos's ankle, obviously having pulled him down. Carlos slammed his foot onto Edward's wrist, forcing Edward to let go. Before Carlos could get up however, Edward jumped on top of him and slammed his fist into Carlos's face. Jane screamed and tried to pull Edward off Carlos.

"Leave him alone!" Edward was too strong and managed to easily throw her off him and send her flying. She hit the ground with a heavy thump.

"Jane!" Carlos cried out. He grabbed Edward's shoulders and kneed him in the groin, causing Edward to roll over in pain and giving Carlos the chance to try to get up to get to Jane. However, Edward wasn't going to let him go that easy. He grabbed Carlos's ankle and sent him slamming into the ground face first. Crying out in pain, Carlos rolled over, kicking Edward off him.

Jane shakily stood up, her back aching. It didn't seem as though anything was broken, but it was very possibly heavily bruised. She heard Carlos cry out in pain and turned to him. Edward was at his feet, trying to grab him and Carlos's face looked pretty banged up. She had to stop the fight somehow, but how?

Edward yanked Carlos ankle so that Carlos was pulled over to him. He hovered over Carlos and slammed his fist into his stomach, several times. On the third punch, Carlos grabbed his hand and flipped him over. He pinned the boy down with his elbow and knee. Getting up so that he was on one knee, which was planted in Edward's chest, Carlos grabbed his jacket and stared him right in the eye.

"Don't you ever go anywhere near Jane again, or I swear on my mother's coat I will end you." He let go of Edward and let his head slam into the floor. Unfortunately, in his haste to get to Jane who was standing there, looking terrified, Carlos let his guard down. Edward wrapped an arm around Carlos's knee and pulled him to the ground again. Carlos tried to pull his leg out of Edward's grip when a sudden yell was heard.

"WHAT IN AURADON IS GOING ON HERE?!" Carlos was pulled up by someone and so was Edward. A crowd had gathered around the fight. Coach Jenkins was holding on to a struggling Edward.

"Let me go!" Carlos yelled, trying to wrestle out of the person holding him's grip.

"Carlos stop." Carlos recognised the voice as Jay's and calmed down ever so slightly.

Panting, Carlos glared at Edward. "Don't you dare ever go near her again." He growled.

"What the bibbidy bobbidy happened? Fighting? In Auradon Prep?" Fairy Godmother appeared from the crowd. "I've never heard such a thing." Fairy Godmother turned to the crowd and began shooing them away. "Nothing to see here, children. Go back to your activities."

"All you villain kids are all the same." Edward spat, once the crowd dispersed. "All of you are trouble."

"Will someone please explain how this began?" Fairy Godmother demanded.

"He attacked me, ma'am. For no reason." Edward claimed.

"Not true!" Carlos yelled, struggling in Jay's grip. Jay held onto him tightly.

"Very true! You villain kids are nothing but trouble."

"Well, Carlos. I can't believe you would do I thing like that. I'm afraid I may have to expel you."

"Mom, no!" Jane rushed forward, clutching her bruised back. "He was defending me."

"Dear, I know he is your boyfriend but if he has done something wrong, he has to face the consequences."

Jane shook her head. "Mom, believe me. Edward was flirting with me so-"  
"So Carlos attacked him? That hardly seems reasonable to me."

"Carlos kicked his feet from under him because Edward was gripping my arm and wouldn't let me go!" She rolled up sleeves to show where fingered shaped bruises were forming. This made Carlos even angrier and he tried to get out of Jay's grip again.

Fairy Godmother gasped. "Why in Auradon would Edward do that?"

"Because I told him no and tried to walk away." Jane rolled down her sleeve again.

Fairy Godmother turned to Edward. "Is this true?"  
Edward shook his head. "Of course not! She'd say anything to make sure her pathetic boyfriend won't get in trouble."

Jane shook her head. "He is not pathetic. All he did was kick Edward's feet from under him so that he'd let me go. He never meant for it to go this far but Edward pulled him down and began to punch him. Everything Carlos did from there was self defence. He wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose without good reason."

"Coach Jenkins?" Fairy Godmother asked, turning to the gentleman who was holding a growling Edward. "What do you think?"

"I think Carlos is a good kid, ma'am. He struggles to hurt people on the Tourney field and the only reason he's okay with slamming his shield into them is because they're wearing protective padding. I doubt he'd start a fight for no good reason. Jane's account seems fairly accurate according to Carlos's character."

"What do you suggest I do?" She asked. "I can't leave him going unpunished, even if he did what he did for a good reason."

Coach Jenkins nodded his agreement. "Suspend him from the R.O.A.R for two weeks, so he can cool off after what happened. This one, on the other hand, probably needs a more harsh punishment." Coach added, gesturing to the boy in his arms.

Fairy Godmother nodded. "Take him inside, I'll deal with him there. Carlos, you are suspended from R.O.A.R for two weeks. Jay, you can let him go now, but keep an eye on him. Get him to the nurse as well, and then go round up some witnesses. I want their account of what happened as well. If I find that your story is not true, Jane, both you and Carlos will have to face the consequences."

Jane nodded. "Yes mom, I understand."

Jay let go of Carlos once the coach had dragged Edward off. Carlos immediately ran to Jane and held her in his arms. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Carlos. Let's get you to the nurse." Jane turned to Jay. "I got him, Jay. Go find some witnesses for my mother." Jay nodded and thanked Jane before heading off.

Jane put her hands on either side of Carlos's face. His lip was busted and his nose was bleeding and he seemed to have several bumps and bruises forming on his face. Jane gently stroked his cheek which was responded with a hiss of pain.

"Sorry." She took Carlos's hand. "Let's go get you fixed up."

The nurse cleaned Carlos up pretty well and soon he was allowed to leave. Jane walked him back to his room and sat him on his bed.

"I can't believe you did that for me." Jane said, placing the ice pack that the nurse had given them gently on his cheek.

Carlos smiled at her. "I would do anything-" he cut himself off with a hiss of pain as she placed slightly too much pressure on the pack.

"Sorry." She mumbled, relieving the pressure slightly.

"It's fine." Carlos replied, "As I was saying, I'd do anything for you, Jane. Even fight Maleficent again. I love you."

Jane smiled at him. "I love you too. But was getting yourself into a scrap really worth it?"

"You're always worth it. Besides, I wasn't about to stand by and let him treat you like that."

Jane smiled again and leaned forward, removing the ice pack and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, trying to avoid the bruise as much as possible. "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

Carlos smiled back and pecked her lips. "Not as amazing as you."

Jane blushed and put the ice pack back on his cheek. Carlos watched her carefully as she continued to tend to him. He loved this girl so much and he would do anything, _anything,_ to keep her safe and happy.

 **Owllover34, here you go. Another one of yours. Thank you so much for the prompt. I loved writing this one. It was so much fun.**

 **And thank you Grace for helping me again, I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: Yep. I know everything. makes wild hand gestures* Lol, jk**

 **DragonEmperor999: (Chapter 16) Everyone deserves love. And yes, Harry and Uma are a brilliant couple. (Chapter 17) I agree. They so do.**

 **Maniey: Don't worry about it being long. Long helps me write it actually. And yep, when it comes to Bal, the more, the better.**

 **Jonnie4Life: Yep, they definitely are.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	19. Misunderstandings (Janelos and Jonnie)

The day was bright and sunny and the school was buzzing with pupils who were going about their day, talking and laughing and joking and smiling. Some were doing homework, others were hanging out with friends and some, like on particular white-haired VK, were training for various sports.

Carlos was swinging his sword around impatiently, waiting for his captain to turn up so they can train together. His best friend, the former captain of the R.O.A.R team, liked to tease him about his lack of sword abilities. He was good at it, but not the best. So he asked Lonnie for some one on one training to improve his skill.

Finally she arrived, sword in hand.

"Ready?" She asked.

Carlos nodded. "Ready."

They sparred for a bit, swinging back and forth, feinting and lunging. Several times Lonnie managed to disarm to Carlos.

"You underestimate your opponents. You need to be on your guard, the whole time. Don't leave any of your sides open if you can help it."

Carlos nodded and they tried again. This time, while trying to block one of Lonnie's lunges, Carlos lost his balance and ended up falling on top of her. Their masks had fallen off in the fall and their faces were a little too close for comfort.

Lonnie groaned.

"Sorry." Carlos said, putting his arms on either side of her head for leverage to get up.

"Lonnie?" A voice in front of them questioned, sounding hurt. "Carlos?" Carlos and Lonnie looked up to see Jay and Jane, both looking like someone had killed their grandmothers.

Jane had tears sparkling in her eyes while Jay just stood there with a murderous look on his face. Carlos realised what it must have looked like to them, considering that his and Lonnie's faces were almost touching.

"Jane! Jay!" Carlos exclaimed getting off Lonnie. "I swear that was not what it looked like." He helped Lonnie up and both of them stood facing their significant others.

"How could you?" Jane whispered before running out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

"Jane! Jane, wait!" Carlos then took off after her, calling her name in desperation.

"Jay, you have to believe me. That was not what it looked like." Lonnie said, trying to reason with her hotheaded boyfriend.

"You know what, Lonnie. I don't want to hear it. I thought I trusted you." He said, shaking his head, not looking at her.

"And you have no reason not to. Nothing happened." Lonnie explained. She tried to approach him but he stopped her by holding out a hand.

"Leave it, Lonnie. We're over." He cracked his knuckles and took off after Carlos with the intention to beat him to a pulp, without so much as a glance Lonnie's way.

"Jay! JAY!" Lonnie screamed after him. She knew she should go after him but she couldn't. She put her back against the wall and slid down it, crying. She hugged her knees and sobbed into them. Nothing happened. Carlos fell. It happens sometimes. Her head was spinning; this all happened so fast she had no idea what to do or think. One minute she's trying to train Carlos, the next her boyfriend dumps her and runs off.

Carlos tried to quicken his pace but Jane was getting away. Damn that girl could run fast. And Carlos was one of the best runners on the tourney team.

"Jane! Please! Let me explain!"

Suddenly, he was grabbed by the collar and yanked back. He was shoved up against the wall, a hand around his throat and his legs dangling above the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" A furious Jay roared in his face. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARED ABOUT HER!"

"Choking….me." Carlos managed to splutter out, trying to grasp one of Jay's wrists to pull him off. Jay loosened his grip slightly, realising this was his brother he was trying to kill, but he didn't let go.

"How could you do this to me? To Jane!" Before Carlos could answer, Jay threw him on the ground. Gasping for air, Carlos rubbed his throat as he sat up.

"I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed, once he got his breath back, looking up at Jay. "I would never cheat on Jane!"

"Yeah, right." Jay scoffed, towering above him. "We saw you."

"You thought you saw us. But that isn't what happened."

Jay growled at him and kicked him in the stomach. "Don't call me a liar. And I saw you with my very own eyes. You were on top of MY girlfriend and you were about to kiss her." He kicked him again.

Carlos doubled over in pain before rolling out the way. "Yes I was on top of your girlfriend but-"

He was cut off when Jay roared in anger and jumped on top of him and punched him in the nose.

Carlos cried out in pain. Everything began to happen in slow motion as Jay pulled his fist back to punch him again. A blast of light suddenly headed their way and literally froze Jay in his tracks.

"Jay! Carlos! What is wrong with you two?" A hand grabbed Jay and pulled him off Carlos. Mal undid her freezing spell as Evie pulled Carlos up. Mal held Jay firm as he tried to get to Carlos again and Evie turned to Carlos, looking incredibly angry.

"What in Auradon is going on? I have Jane run in to my room in the middle of one of my appointments, crying. I had to calm her down and she said that you were cheating on her. With Lonnie!" Evie exclaimed wildly. Jay growled again but Mal held him tightly. "So me and Mal come out to see what's going on to see Jay beating you to a pulp!"

"I promise, I never cheated on Jane. This is all a massive misunderstanding!" Carlos exclaimed, desperately. "Do you really think I would do that to Jane? With my best friend's girlfriend of all people? I would never hurt her like that!"

"We saw you with our own eyes!" Jay growled, trying to escape Mal's iron grip. "You were lying on top of her, about to kiss her!"  
Mal and Evie raised their eyebrows at Carlos.

"I tripped! I fell on top of her and we lost out masks in the process." Carlos reasoned. "I have never looked at Lonnie in that way. I would never do that to you or to Jane!"

Jay scoffed. "Then why were you with her? In the arena? Alone?"

Carlos went red. "I..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to have one on one training with her."

Jay's face flushed red with anger. "Oh really?" He said sarcastically. Evie held her hands on his chest to keep him from breaking free from Mal.

"Only because you keep teasing me! I wanted to get better so that you'd stop making fun of me. And so that I'd become at least slightly good enough for Jane!"

Jay stopped wrestling Mal and both girls stared at him confused. "What?"

Carlos's face was now a tomato. "I just...I'm tired of the teasing." He said shortly.  
"Good enough...for me?" A small voice said behind him. Carlos whirled around to see Jane standing there, her eyes red and tear streaks down her face.

Carlos nodded slowly. "I've never felt good enough for you, Jane. I mean, look at me." Jane took a step closer to him. "I'm not as athletic or good looking as Jay. I'm not as smart as Doug or Evie. I'm not a prince or anyone important. I'm a villain kid who was lucky to be here. And so lucky to have someone as beautiful and talented and sweet and kind and amazing as you and now I've managed to ruin it all, just because I'm a clumsy idiot who can't even keep his balance when swinging a sword." With every sentence he said, Jane took a step closer until she was almost right in front of him. Carlos looked her in the eye. "And now I've lost you and my best friend, just because I can't keep my balance."

Jane was now standing so close that their faces were almost touching. "Carlos…you didn't cheat?"

Carlos shook his head. "I promise. I fell. I didn't mean to land on top of Lonnie. And I would never, ever, ever do that to you. I love you too much."

Tears were sparkling in Jane's eyes again but this time it was tears of joy. She placed a hand on his cheek.

"I believe you." She whispered softly. "And I love you too." She leaned up and kissed him softly. Carlos kissed back, a little unsure at first but soon was wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

"I love you." He said, between kisses. "I love you so much."

Evie and Mal were silently squealing together while Jay stood there in shock. Lonnie didn't cheat. The realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks.

"What have I done?" He whispered.

Mal and Evie looked at him as he covered his face with his hands. Jane and Carlos broke apart and stared at him, slightly confused.

Jay backed up against a wall. "I falsely accused her. I dumped her! I didn't even listen to what she had to say! And then I nearly killed you." He looked up at Carlos. "Carlos, I am so sorry. Gah! I'm such an idiot!" He spun around and punched the wall.

"I would have done the same." Carlos reasoned. "Well, I would have tried to. You're way too big for me to be able to beat you up but that's beside the point."

"Jay," Jane piped up, "The longer you wait, the worse it's going to get. Go after her."

Jay looked at Jane, who pointed in the direction of the arena. "Go."

Jay obeyed and ran off towards the arena. The sight he saw when he got there made his heart shatter. Lonnie was curled up with her head in her knees and her back against the wall, sobbing her eyes out.

"Lonnie." he breathed. She looked up, her eyes bright red, tear stains on her whole face. His heart broke again. He approached her slowly and sat down next to her.

"W-what do you want?" She hiccuped out. Jay was never much good at words so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, whispering apologies over and over again.

"I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. I was so angry that I wasn't thinking rationally. Carlos explained everything. I am so sorry Lonnie. I am so sorry for everything."

Lonnie didn't hug back but continued to cry into this shirt.

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you Lonnie. I am so, so, so sorry." He began to let go. "I understand if you never want to see me again."

Lonnie hiccuped again as her sobs slowed down. Jay let go completely and stood up. However before he could get too far, Lonnie grabbed his hand.

"Don't go." she said, barely a whisper. Jay sat down again, not letting go of Lonnie's hand. Lonnie let go and flung her arms around him, crying quietly into his shoulder. "Please don't leave me."

Jay wrapped his arms around her again, cradling her head with one hand. "Never." he whispered, kissing the side of her head.

Lonnie kept her arms wrapped around his neck and held on tightly. "Promise?" she sniffled.

"I promise." He replied, holding her tighter still. "Never again. I'll not let my anger get the best of me."

Lonnie pulled back from the hug and nodded. "Okay."

"I know you probably hate me right now." Jay began, not looking Lonnie in the eye. "But," he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Would you maybe consider being my girlfriend again?"

"Do you promise to trust me?" Lonnie inquired.

Jay smiled. "I trust you with ever fibre of my being. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I don't know what was wrong with me."

"You're a hotheaded idiot who's been hurt way to often." Lonnie said kindly. She leaned forward and planted a short and sweet kiss on Jay's lips. "Does that answer your question?"

Jay grinned, "I don't know. Maybe you need to try again?"

Lonnie laughed and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist.

Mistakes. Arguments. Misunderstandings. This was all part of relationships. And if you can get through those, you can get through anything.

 **I'm not crying. I promise. wipes eyes* Okay, so that was an emotional rollercoaster for me. How about you guys? Thanks Owllover34 for prompting this one. I hope I did it justice.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I know, I know. But it's only if Jane's story turns out to be a lie, which it isn't. So they're okay.**

 **Grace: Thank you!**

 **Riles16: IKR?! They're like the cutest things in the world!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	20. Dares (Dizzy Tremaine)

The day was bright and sunny and kids and teens all over Auradon Prep were enjoying the Saturday morning.

"Dizzy, truth or dare?"

Dizzy thought about it for a second before finally deciding. "Dare."

The other girls grinned at each other and began to whisper to each other. Dizzy became very nervous and her normally, bright, bubbly, confident smile wavered.

"We dare you," Olivia, Dizzy's best friend and roommate, began. "To..." She leaned over and whispered in Dizzy's ear. Dizzy gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.

"They're going to kill me!" She exclaimed.

The others laugh. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine." Olivia reasoned. "I mean, once they find out it's a dare, I'm sure they'll find it funny. I mean they are VK's too, right?"

Dizzy glared at her. "Stereotyping is not a good thing to do you know."

Olivia shrugged her apology. Dizzy rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine. I'll do it. But if I get in trouble, you guys are going down with me."

The others laughed as the fifteen year old red-head strode out of the room. She quickly sent the Core Four a text, asking them to meet her in her dorm (They'd been sitting in one of the other girls room for truth or dare.)

Dizzy sat in her room nervously waiting, while the other girls decided to hide in her closet, wanting to witness the result first hand.

Finally, there was a knock on the door and Dizzy opened the door to all four of the original VKs standing there, looking a little scared as to why Dizzy would want them back at Auradon Prep.

"Hey, Diz." Evie said, fondly, hugging the young girl.

Dizzy hugged back and let them in. Once everyone was seated - Evie at Dizzy's work desk, Mal on her bed, Jay perched on the foot of her bed, half standing, half sitting, and Carlos sitting sideways on one of her chairs – Dizzy took a quick glance at her wardrobe before taking a deep breath.

"I have something to tell you." She said, fidgeting with her gloves.

"Spit it out." Jay replied, concerned.

"I'm..." Dizzy gulped, "I'm pregnant."

"WHAT?" Mal, Evie and Jay yelled together. Carlos promptly fell off the chair, obviously having fainted.

"How could you be so irresponsible?" Mal demanded, jumping up, "You don't even have a boyfriend!"

Dizzy opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Jay.

"Who's the father?" He thundered, cracking his knuckles and standing up."I swear I'll-"  
"JAY!" Evie yelled at him. "Down. Now. Mal, you too."

The two of them sat back down again, slowly, both glaring daggers, not at Dizzy specifically but just in general.

"Dizzy, come sit." Evie patted the chair which Carlos had fallen off (He was still on the floor), "Now, how did this happen?"

Dizzy let out a nervous laugh and began, "Well, when a mummy and daddy-"

"Dizzy, be serious." Mal interrupted. "This is not the time!"

"Who's the father, Diz?" Evie asked, gently, though she looked terrified.

Dizzy decided this had gone far enough. "It was a dare."

Jay looked furious. "You slept with someone on a DARE?" He raged.

Dizzy shook her head. Mal studied her face while Evie looked at the red-headed fifteen year old, worried.

"That's not what I meant. I meant, I'm not pregnant. It was a dare."

The room went very, very silent. Dizzy covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Jay got up and woke up Carlos, shaking him roughly. "Get up."

Carlos rubbed his head as he stood up. "Please tell me that I only dreamt that Dizzy was pregnant."

"You didn't dream it." Mal replied, "But don't worry. She told us on a dare." She said it all rather spitefully.

Dizzy buried her face deeper in her hands.

"Why would you accept a dare like that?" Mal demanded, trying to work out what could have possibly possessed the girl to tell them something like that.

"I guess I didn't want to back down from a dare?" Dizzy said, removing her hands from her face.

Evie hugged her. "Oh, Dizzy. This is the kind of dare you have to back down from." She explained, kindly. "You really scared us, Diz."

Dizzy hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Evie. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't realise it would."

"Well, you made Carlos faint so, yeah, you scared us." Mal inputted.

"Carlos was always the easiest to scare." Dizzy joked. "He's a wimp."

Everyone laughed, while Carlos just said, "Oh ha ha." Jay patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly.

Dizzy turned to them. "Seriously though. I had no idea it would scare you this much."

Evie gave her a sad look. "Well, you don't have a boyfriend. So we didn't know if someone had forced themselves upon you or if you were just being irresponsible. And the idea that you could do something so irresponsible scares us because, well, we don't know what could happen to you if you were." Evie ran a hand through the fifteen year old's hair. "Just promise never to do something like that to us again?"

Dizzy nodded and everyone went in for a group hug. When they pulled out of the hug, Mal flicked her hand towards the wardrobe and the doors flew open, the other girls falling out on top of each other.

"You girls," Mal began, "need to learn where to draw the line. This kind of dare is not okay." The girls all nodded, solemnly, slightly scared of what the future Queen of Auradon might do to them.

"Go back to your dorm and continue your game, but next time, draw the line." Mal said gently, sending them all out. "You, Dizzy, need to learn when to say no, okay? Sometimes your kindness and willingness to do things for others can be wrongly used." Dizzy nodded and hugged Mal again.

"Right, you interrupted my dress fitting for the wedding, so Evie and I are both a bit behind schedule and need to leave."

Dizzy nodded and watched them leave, Evie dropping a kiss on top of her head as they left. As the boys left, Jay took Dizzy's arm gently. "If any boy does try anything..." He began.

"I'll use a few of the moves you taught me." Dizzy said, smiling.

Jay nodded and held his fist out for a fist bump. Dizzy complied happily and smiled at her brother. After they left, Dizzy went back to her friends, now considering carefully which dares would she would accept. Maybe she should just say truth next time.

 **Okay, I'm sorry this took so long. My computer broke. I got it fixed so I should go back to my normal, completely random pattern.**

 **If anyone seems a bit OOC, I am sorry. I basically just tried to work out how they'd act as older them, seeing at the Core Four are in their early twenties, and Dizzy is fifteen. Thank you Owllover34 for the prompt.**

 **ALSO! I am closing prompts. I have 25 prompts in my to-do list and I want to be able to do them all but if I keep collecting prompts, I will begin to stress at how long the list is. In a month or two I'll open the prompts again, depending on how far through all the current ones I am.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: It was quite intense, wasn't it? Sorry about that and if something similar was to happen to Mal and Evie, it would go down a lot differently.**

 **SusieBeast: I'm sorry. I didn't like doing this to my babies either. But they're okay now so yay!**

 **Owllover34: Awww, thank you! And I hope I did this one as much justice as I apparently did the others.**

 **Grace: Where do you think I got the squealing idea from *wink**

 **Riles16: Yes, onions, that'll be it. Were you cutting them near me by any chance?**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	21. Bullied (Mal)

The day was bright and beautiful, and the students of Auradon Prep were out and about. The purple haired faerie was heading off to a quiet place where she would meet Ben so that they could spend some time together.

"Dragon." Someone whispered, as she passed them. Mal ignored it. Comments like that didn't bother her. "Hey, Dragon." They spoke louder, "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

Mal turned around, one eyebrow raised. "Can I help you?"

The girl looked at her friends and smirked. "Tell me, why do you bother meet up with the King, when he's obviously going to dump you soon."

Mal scoffed. "I highly doubt that. I tried to dump him but he wouldn't let me. He came after me. Somehow, I think if he really was going to dump me, he would have let me stay on the Isle."

Before any of the girls could reply, Ben came up to them and wrapped an arm around Mal's waist. Mal gave the girls a subtle smirk and turned her head to her boyfriend.

"You okay?" he asks gently, nudging her nose with his own. Mal giggled and pecked him on the lips briefly.

"Perfectly fine. Come on, you have a meeting in like, half an hour. I want to enjoy my time with you before you're taken away from me again." And with that Mal dragged Ben away, waving at the girls they'd left behind.

That wasn't the last time those girls tried to get to Mal unfortunately. They struck again a week later.

Mal gave Ben a peck on the cheek just before he headed off to his last class of the day. Mal didn't have another one that day so she went to finish her homework.

"You know he only went after you because you know too much about Auradon and he knew you would tell all the secrets to the villains meaning they have an advantage over us?"

Mal's pencil paused over the equation she was trying to solve. 'Could that be true?' she wondered before mentally shaking her head. Ben loved her. That's why he went after her.

"I'm sorry if that's what you think but how could you possibly know why he went after me. I didn't realise that he confided all his deepest secrets in you." Mal said, turning to the brown haired princess who was making fun of her. "I didn't even realise he knew your name. I know I don't."

The princess harrumphed. "I'm Joy Rolfe? Pocahontas and John Rolfe's daughter."

Mal shook her head slightly, "Can't say I've heard of you. Although, your mother is lovely. I met her on my tour."

Joy crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Never mind whether or not you've heard of me. And Ben doesn't have to confide in me. Everyone knows it."

"King Ben." Mal replied, "You are not his friend, so you should refer to him by his proper title."

Joy scoffed. "Whatever. He only went after you to keep Auradon safe. Everyone knows that it's true. So come down from your silly ideas of him being in love with you and open your eyes to the real world." The girls who stood behind her laughed. "Come on girls." And with that Joy stalked off, her posse trailing behind her.

Mal kept thinking about what she said. Was Ben just trying to keep Auradon safe? It would make sense. No, that's ridiculous. 'True love's kiss remember?' Mal reminded herself. Feeling satisfied with her conclusion, the faerie went back to her homework and didn't even give Joy and her posse a second thought.

However, it still wasn't the end of the snide comments. As Mal walked through the hall she heard "Dragon" and "Maleficent" whispered between people. She chose to ignore it and continued on her way.

"Hey Maleficent." someone called. Mal, knowing who it was continued to place her books in her locker, smiling at the pictures of her and Ben.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you." Joy spoke up again. Mal rolled her eyes and turned to look at her raising her eyebrow.

Joy looked her up and down and laughed. Mal crossed her arms, unfazed.

"You call that an outfit?" Joy laughed, "It looks like someone tore it up. How does Ben not get embarrassed to be seen with you. I mean, I know he feels sorry for you, but this is just ridiculous."

Mal took a quick glance at her outfit. It was her purple claw mark shirt, with her green slashed jeans and a pair of dragon winged boots. She looked back up at Joy, "Of course it looks like someone tore it up. It's supposed to." Mal said, deciding to not rise to the 'Ben feels sorry for you' comment.

Joy laughed even harder. "Oh, how stupid. Why would you intentionally rip your clothes? Oh wow, Ben must really, really, really feel sorry for you if he's willing to be seen with this." Joy gestured to Mal's clothes. "Poor Ben." And with that she left again.

Mal suddenly felt quite self-conscious. Feel sorry for her? Is that why he's with her? No. He loves her. She knew that. But did she? Was she just deluding herself? After all, why would he make a villain a queen? Mal slammed her locker shut, with a growl.

"Woah. Easy girl." A voice said behind her.

"Carlos! Hey." Mal composed herself to try and look like nothing was wrong.

"You okay? You seem a bit on edge." Carlos said.

Mal smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, just a bit stressed. That's all."

Carlos didn't looked like he believed her but chose to leave it be.

Mal tried not to let Joy's words bother her but she kept thinking about what she had said and it only got worse the next time.

"If you're thinking that he loves you because of true love's kiss, then you really are deluding yourself. He was probably so shocked at being kissed by someone so ugly that it broke the spell."

Mal rubbed her arm but didn't say anything.

"Awww, Lucifer got your tongue?" Joy asked, snickering. Mal didn't say anything but just walked away.

"Going to go hide behind Ben now? Or maybe one of your pathetic friends? Can't stand up for yourself can you?"

Mal kept walking until she finally reached a bathroom. She quickly checked that it was empty before going into one of the stalls and sobbing. Joy was right. She was pathetic, and ugly, and useless and she was nothing but a villain. She heard someone enter the bathroom and quickly wiped her eyes. She stayed in the stall for a little while longer so that she could calm down slightly. She left the stall and saw that there was no one by the sinks so she quickly washed her face and headed out of the bathroom.

"Mal!" She heard. Mal flinched slightly but turned around to see her boyfriend coming towards her.

"Hey." She mumbled when he reached her.

He grinned at her. "Hey."

Mal tried to smile back but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Ben noticed and gave her concerned look.

"You okay?" He asked, gently taking her hand.

Mal looked down at their joint hands before looking up at him. His face was covered with worry.

Joy's words rang in her head. "He just feel sorry for you." "He's going to break up with you soon." "He only went after you for the safety of Auradon." Mal tried to ignore them and just shrugged at Ben.

"Yeah, just a little tired, I guess."

Ben stroked her hand with her thumb. "Do you want to cancel our date so you can sleep?" he asked, kindly.

"He's just trying to find an excuse not to spend any time with you!" A voice that sounded like Joy's sounded in Mal's head.

Mal shook her head. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, you've been excited to take me on this date."

Ben smiled at her, searching her face. "Are you sure you'll be okay? If you get to tired, just let me know and I'll take you straight home so you can sleep."

Mal smiled back. "I'll be fine."

"Oh, King Ben!" A voice cried out behind Ben. Mal looked over his shoulder and saw Joy rushing towards them. Ben turned around and looked at the newcomer. "Can I borrow Mal for a second? I really need to talk to her about something."

Ben looked over at Mal who was trying not to show her fear. "Well-" he began before he was interrupted.

"Thanks." Joy grabbed Mal's arm and dragged her away from Ben.

Joy took Mal to a bathroom where almost no one went. Her three friends were there as well. Joy pushed Mal down and she fell, landing on her back quite hard.

"You're so pathetic if you really think that Ben wants you here. That anyone wants you here. You and your friends should go back to the Isle." Joy kicked Mal in the stomach. The posse laughed and began to join in. They were all kicking her in various places on her body. Mal cried out in pain with every time their pointed shoes contacted her skin. She felt blood running down her face and sobbed. Finally the girl left her alone, laughing evilly.

Mal lay there for what felt like hours, tears streaming down her face. She was curled up in the fetal position, unable to do anything but cry. Eventually someone ran in.  
"Mal!" It was Evie. "Jay, Carlos get in here!"

More footsteps. "What happened?" Jay. He sounded more worried than Mal had ever heard him be.

"I found her like this." Evie was crying.

Mal felt two arms go around her, trying to pick her up. She yelled out in pain. The arms let her go.

"She's too hurt. I don't think I can pick her up without causing her more pain." Mal heard Evie let out a sob.

"Who would do this to her?" Mal felt a hand on her bruised cheek. "Mal, what happened."

Mal carefully opened her eyes. Jay and Carlos were standing up, nearby, faces covered with worry. Evie was kneeling next to her, her face riddled with concern, and her make-up running down her face.

"I'm okay." Mal croaked up.

All three of them gave her a look.

"We're not blind, Mal." Carlos spoke up for the first time, him and Jay now also kneeling next to her. "Can you stand?"

Mal tried to move. It was painful but she managed to sit up properly. Jay gently took her arm and supported her. With the help of Carlos and Jay, Mal managed to stand for a few seconds before collapsing on to Jay, who caught her and held her upright.

"Get her to the nurse. I'll go see if I can find Ben." Jay nodded and half carried, half walked Mal out of the bathroom. Mal tried to protest, saying that they didn't need to bother get Ben but they all ignored her. Carlos went with Jay and Mal to help support her.

They got her to the nurse eventually and sat her on the chair.

"What happened to her?" The nurse said, examining Mal's face. Jay shrugged and Carlos explained that Evie had found her.

"We won't have to take her to hospital." The nurse concluded. "Just looks like she'll be badly bruised for a while."

Jay and Carlos nodded, both taking Mal's arms. Mal pulled her arms away from then. "I can walk now. I'll be okay." She stood up, wincing slightly but walked out, thanking the nurse. Carlos and Jay followed her as a precaution.

"Mal!" Ben and Evie came running up to her. Ben winced at the sight of his true love's busted up face and took her hands gently. He looked at her confused and worried when she pulled her hands out his grip.

"What happened Mal? Hey, hey, look at me." he said gently, placing a hand on her cheek when she refused to look him in the eye. "Who did this to you?"

Mal shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Why would you care anyway?"

Ben looked hurt by this comment. "Mal, of course I care. Why wouldn't I?" He tried to stroke her face with his thumb but she jerked her head away from him. "Mal?"

Mal walked away, not looking back. She was glad that the halls were empty, due to the fact that lessons were over so people were outside or in their dorms or else where. If they were empty, no one would see her break.

Ben looked at the others helplessly but they all just shrugged, just as confused. Evie rushed over to her best friend.

"Mal, what's wrong." Mal turned to her and couldn't take it any more. She flung her arms around Evie and began to sob.

"I can't do this any more, Evie. I'm not good enough for anything and Ben's only with me because he pities me and-"

"What?!" Evie pulled back and held her friend at arms length, her hands on her shoulders, looking at her confused. "Who told you that?"

"Everyone knows it." Mal mumbled.

Evie raised her eyebrow. "Mal, who's been saying this stuff to you?"

Mal shook her head. "No one, it doesn't matter."

Evie gave Mal a hard stare. "Mal."

Mal refused to say anything. Jay, Carlos and Ben suddenly appeared behind Evie.  
"Mal, what's going on?" Ben asked. "Was it Joy? Did she do this to you?"

Evie moved out of the way so that Ben could approach Mal.

When Mal didn't say anything, Ben's face went hard with anger. "It was." He face softened. "I'm sorry, Mal. I shouldn't have let her take you away from me."

Evie, Jay and Carlos exchanged questioning looks before Carlos whipped out his phone.

Ben grabbed Mal's hands and pulled her in for hug. "This is all my fault." Mal stiffened in his arms and pulled away.

"Ben, just make this easier on both of us and break up with me. I know you want to."

Ben's eyebrows contorted in confusion. "Break up with you? Mal, what are you talking about? I would never do that."

Mal sighed. "Ben, I know you're dating me because you feel sorry for me."

Ben laughed. "Feel sorry for you? Mal, of course I'm dating you because I feel sorry for you. I'm dating you because I love you. You know that."

"Do I? Are you sure?"

Ben grabbed her hands. "What did Joy say to you? Because whatever she said, it's not true. I promise, I love you. True love's kiss wouldn't have worked otherwise."

Mal thought about for a second before nodding. A few tears escaped her eyes and she flung her arms around him. She sobbed into his shoulder while he cradled her carefully.

"Shh, shh." he murmured. "It's okay. Shh. I love you."

Mal buried her head further into her shoulder when they were interrupted with a shout of triumphed.

Ben and Mal looked over to Carlos who was showing his phone to Evie and Jay.

"Sorry." He said. Evie and Jay nodded and ran off, Carlos following on.

"We should follow them." Mal said, grabbing Ben's hand and running.

Ben ran with her, questioning her reasons. "They're up to something." was her only reply. As it turned out, the VKs were trying to find a certain someone.

Jay cracked his knuckles and started heading towards Joy.

"Woah, boy!" Evie and Carlos held him back. "Violence is not going to help." Mal came over and took Jay's arm.

"Jay, she's not worth it." Jay struggled against his siblings.

"She hurt you. She's not going to get away with it."

"And she won't." Ben put in, also holding Jay back now, "But violence will get you in trouble as well."

Evie let go of Jay and headed over to Joy.

"Hi." She said sweetly. Joy smiled back at her.

"Can I help you?"

Evie nodded. "You can!" She sat down next to her. "If you ever go anywhere near my friend, I swear on my mother's mirror that I won't hold Jay back, okay?"

Joy looked over to where Jay was being seriously restrained.

"What, Mal can't fight her own battles?" she said, snidely.

"Oh, she can. But, unlike you, she has people who can back her up and people she can lean on when things get too much. I have a feeling when things get too much for you, you're little 'friends' will leave you." Evie said sassily.

Joy opened her mouth in anger, glaring at her. "How dare you?"

"No, how dare you?" Evie replied. "Mal has done nothing, _nothing_ , to you and you beat her down so that she feels like she doesn't deserve anything. Let me tell you something, Rolfe. She deserves far more than you ever will." Evie got up and flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked back to her friends.

"Well, I'm done with her. Who wants to go get some hot chocolate or something?" The friends all agreed.

As they began to walk together, Ben grabbed Mal's hand and pulled her back slightly.

"If anyone ever bothers you again, just come to me, okay? I promise I won't let anyone hurt you like that again."

Mal nodded and kissed him. "I love you." she mumbled.

Ben smiled. "I love you too. No matter what."

Holding hands, they followed their friends, finally happy. Mal's face was fine the next day so there weren't too many awkward questions and Joy was expelled. Seeing Pocahontas and John Rolfe as angry as they were made Mal almost feel sorry for Joy. Almost.

Mal still got some rude remarks but she knew she had her friends to fall back on. She did, however, ask Fairy Godmother to start an anti-bullying program. Just because these kids were the children of heroes, it didn't mean they were all good. Fairy Godmother agreed and they were able to help many people who were suffering being bullied.

Ben was proud of Mal for starting the program and, as promised, he was always there when someone said something hurtful, and Mal knew that she had him, no matter what.

 **Another one! Whoop!**

 **I do have a message with this one. If you are getting bullied or you know someone who is, don't be afraid to speak up. Get help. There will always be someone who is willing to help you. Also, remember this: bullies don't bully for no reason. There will be some level of brokenness with them as well. This does not justify what bullies do, but it's important to remember that bullies are often victims too. Also, once you find a way to ignore the bullies, they'll just look ridiculous, rather than hurtful. I know it's not easy. It never is. But I believe you are strong enough to get through. I believe in you.**

 **Response to reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: She sure did.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	22. Jealous (Core Four X Signifcant Others)

_That time Mal got jealous:_

It was a beautiful Auradon morning and the King was knocking on the dorm room door of his girlfriend and her best friend.

The purple-haired faerie walked towards the door and opened with a smile.

"Ben. Hey." Her boyfriend gave her one of his easy grins and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Hey." He stared at her face, lovingly, as though she was the single, most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Mal cocked her head to the side slightly, "Do you need anything or have you come just so you can stare at me like a dork?"

Ben chuckled, snapping out of his trance. "As much as I wish I could do that, I've come to talk to Evie. We have some things we need to discuss."

Mal nodded and looked back into the room, where Evie was just adding one of Dizzy's hair pieces into her hairstyle. Evie looked up and smiled.

"I'll be right there. Just need to grab something first." Ben nodded and waited quietly while Evie gathered all her stuff together in a handbag.

"Evie." Mal spoke up as Evie was placing some perfume into her bag.

"Yeah?" Evie turned to Mal, with a smile.

"You do realise that's the knock-out perfume, right?" Evie looked down at the bottle in her hand and nodded.

"Yeah. Safety precautions. With Uma on the loose, it's good to be cautious."

Ben nodded. "She's right. It's probably for the best. Right, Evie. We have a lot to get through, so shall we?"

"Have fun." Mal said, watching her best friend and her boyfriend leave. Both of them laughed, knowing that there was a lot of hard work that lay ahead of them.

Mal smiled and closed the door behind them. She was glad that her boyfriend was spending more time with her best friend. It's good when your best friend and boyfriend get on.

At lunch time, Mal headed down to her usual spot. When she got there, she saw Evie and Ben with their heads bent, close together. Something boiled in the pit of her stomach but it died as soon she realised they were looking over a map and had some papers scattered around.

"That'll never go through, Evie. Don't think I haven't tried." Ben was saying.

"Hey." Mal said, sitting opposite them.

Evie and Ben responded briefly before looking back at what they were doing. "It has to, Ben. They're surviving off scraps. Why is that in the Isle agreement? Just because they're villains, it doesn't mean they don't have the right to proper food. There are children growing up there!"

"I have visited this point time and time again, but they have no sympathy for villains. I wish I could change that but I can't."

"Sorry, mind if I butt in here." Mal said, looking over at the papers they were looking at. "Are we talking about the scraps?"

Evie nodded, looking very stressed. "Yeah."

"What if I make a speech? If we can appeal to the people, we can probably persuade the council."

Ben and Evie looked at Mal briefly and then at each other before nodding.

"Mal, you are a genius." Ben said, happily.

Mal smiled. "What can I say? Being raised by the most evil villain in the world has it's perks."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Um, okay?"

Evie laughed. "She means that her mum taught her that if you strike the people, you have a higher chance of striking the king. Evil 101 if I'm honest."

"Then why do people always go after the heroes?"

"If the hero is gone, the people lose hope." Evie replied. "It's all about tactics and what your plan is. It really depends."

Ben nodded and pointed out another bit of the Isle agreement. Mal tried to help as much as she could but she eventually zoned it out, as she was not sure about some of the solutions to the problems. She watched as Ben and Evie sat and talked for the whole of lunch time, only turning to Mal if they were really, really stuck. That didn't happen often as Ben was a good king and Evie was a smart girl. Mal felt a little left out but she didn't show it. She would have sat with Jay and Carlos but they were in a bit of a mood because they lost the tourney game to the Imperial Academy last night so they were no fun to be around for another day.

Eventually lunch was over and Mal had to head to class. Ben and Evie had a free period so were staying behind to work out some of the finer points of the agreement, seeing if there were any loopholes at all. Mal felt something burble at the pit of her stomach again. She chose to ignore it and walked to class.

Later that day, when Mal was lying on her bed, finishing some sketches she was doing, Evie walked in, looking rather dishevelled. Mal knew that she had been with Ben all day and wondered what on earth could make her so flustered.

"Am I late?"

"For?" Mal asked, getting off of her bed.

"I had an appointment but me and Ben lost track of time and as soon as I realised the time, I had to get back here as fast as I could so I ran all the way back."

Mal looked over at Evie's appointment book. "Evie, you don't have any appointments this week."

Evie looked at her confused and looked through her book. "Oh. Oh Ben's going to be annoyed. I cut the time short to do this."

"Ben's understanding." Mal replied, feeling the feeling from earlier back in her stomach. It was jealousy she realised. Mal pushed that feeling away. She had nothing to be jealous of. Evie and Ben were just working together to make the Isle a better place.

"Yeah, I suppose. Ugh." Evie flopped onto the bed. "Do you want help with the speech? Ben thinks that I might be able to help you with it."

"Does he now? Well, I haven't even thought about the speech to be honest." Mal replied, "So, I guess you could help me get started."

Evie looked at her. "You haven't even started? Mal, this is an incredibly important speech! It's the speech that could change the Isle forever!"

"I'm aware. And I'll get round to it."

"Mal, this isn't one of the homework assignments that you can throw together last minute." Evie reasoned.

Mal nodded. "I know. But I wouldn't even know how to start. Give me twenty-four hours to think about what I'm going to say before I start writing anything down."

Evie sighed and flopped again. "I'm going to sleep. It's been a long day."

Mal nodded. "You do that. I'll leave so that I don't disturb you. I fancy baking right now anyway."

The following morning, Evie and Mal woke up to get ready for the day. Mal was excited because she and Ben had a breakfast date planned. It was the first date they'd had in a while. She was dressed in a simple lavender jewel neck shirt over a violet slit skirt.

A knock came on the door and Mal opened it, smiling widely.

"Hey."

Ben smiled back at her. "Hey. You look very nice today."

Mal blushed. "Well, I figured I'd look nice considering it's the first time we've had a date in a while."

Ben blinked. "Our date's not until next Saturday?"

Mal looked at him annoyed. "It is Saturday. It was today."

"What? Hold on." Ben pulled out his phone and saw on his calender that it was indeed his date with Mal today. He groaned. "I am so sorry, Mal. I completely forgot. Raincheck?"

Mal sighed and nodded. "I guess so. So if it wasn't to pick me up for a date, then why did you come?"

Ben nodded towards Evie, who was just finished getting ready to go. "We have a lot to get through and the sooner it's done, the sooner lives can better for VKs on the Isle. I'm so sorry, Mal. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Mal shook her head. "It's fine. I understand." Evie and Ben both gave her an apologetic look before they headed out together. Mal sighed and changed out of her nice shirt and skirt and put on an old shirt, a pair of sweatpants and Ben's letterman jacket, which he had given her after the coronation as she wouldn't accept it before then. She sat down and began writing the speech that she was supposed to give. The feeling was back and it burbled in her stomach and no matter what she did, she couldn't get it away.

The rest of the week didn't go very well for Mal either. Ben kept cancelling on her so that he could spend time, (sorry, work) with Evie. Every lunch time was spent debating, arguing and sorting things out. Mal attended meetings with him but the few minutes before and after were the only time she really had alone with him. Every time she saw Ben and Evie together, the green monster in her stomach began to grow, longing to be let out and rage.

One evening, Mal was going over her speech, changing some of it up to make it seem more convincing when there was a knock on the door. Mal got up and headed to the door. She opened it to see Ben.

"Evie's not here." Mal said, beginning to close the door.

"Hey, woah." Ben put a hand out to stop the door from closing. "I know, I just left her. I'm here to see you."

"Are you now?" Mal muttered under her breath and opened the door wider to let him in. He walked in and stood, slightly awkwardly in the middle of her room.

"What did you want to see me about?" Mal asked, standing with her back against the post of her bed.

"I've missed you." Ben replied, going to sit on the bed. He gestured for her to do the same, but she just pulled up her desk chair and sat on that, facing him. Ben was slightly hurt by this but didn't make any comment. "I have been able to properly talk to you for a while."

"Well, that isn't exactly _my_ fault." Mal remarked.

Ben sighed, "I know. I've kept cancelling and I've ignored you-"

"When you were around Evie, yeah I know."

Ben looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry Mal. We just wanted to see what we could do. It turns out to be a lot harder than we initially thought. We've had to come to the conclusions that the only way we can make life better for the Isle is baby steps, starting with your speech."

Mal blew a piece of fringe out of her face. "If you've come to see how I'm doing on that, it's almost done."

"Oh, good. But that's not why I'm here." Ben replied. "I wanted to see you. Spend some time with you."

"Sure you did." Mal muttered, picking at the glove on her right hand.

Ben heard and gave her an odd look. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno." Mal shrugged. "Maybe you'd rather spend your time with Evie. You seem to have been enjoying her company lately."

"Evie? Mal, we're working together. She's my councillor."

Mal just shrugged. "I guess."

"Mal, what is up with you? It's not like you to be jealous." Ben asked getting up to move closer to her.

"Who's says I'm jealous. And how would you know what I'm like, seeing as you never spend time with me any more. It's like you'd rather date Evie."

"You know that's not true, Mal."

Mal scoffed and looked up at him. "Do I? Do I really? You cancelled our date so that you can spend more time with my best friend! How am I supposed to feel, Ben?" Mal rose and began pacing, "You're constantly around her, always talking to her and you pretty much ignore me when I am there. I get it. Evie's prettier and smarter and more talented and-"

Ben interrupted her by grabbing her arms and forcing her to turn to look at him. "I know I've been a crappy boyfriend lately, but Mal, I swear on my life that there is nothing going on between me and Evie. I've just been so stressed about getting this right that-"

"That you forget I exist."

"Never!" Ben exclaimed. "My mind has been all over the place and it is constantly going back to you. I'm always feeling guilty about having to cancel on you or leave you out but Mal, I swear to you that I have not forgotten you exist nor is anything going on between me and Evie."

Mal gave him a disbelieving look. Ben sighed and looked her in the eye. "Mal, there is nothing going on. I love you way too much to even so much as think about other girls. I promise, you are the only girl for me, okay?"

Mal searched his face, looking for any sign of dishonesty (something she was very good at spotting) and saw none. She nodded slowly and took a deep breath.

"Okay." She said finally, "I believe you. I'm sorry. This isn't like me."

Ben pulled her in for a hug. "It's okay. I understand why you may have been jealous. So I thought I'd come and make it up to you."

Mal pulled out of the hug, her eyebrow raised. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"I have cancelled everything for tomorrow. I'm going to pick you up at nine tomorrow morning and we're going to spend the whole day together doing whatever you want."

Mal gaped at him, "The whole day?"

Ben nodded. "The whole day."

Mal looked at him before nodding. "How about you pick me up at eight and we go to early morning café for breakfast and see where we go from there."

Ben grinned. "Sounds perfect." He planted a kiss on her lips before heading to the door. Mal followed him.

"Until tomorrow, my little dragon." he said, bringing her hands to his lips and planting a kiss on his ring.

Mal smiled and bowed her head to him. "Until tomorrow, Beasty Boy."

With a laugh Ben departed, his bright smile, which had disappeared slightly these last few days, was back. Mal smiled at his retreating form before closing the door. She sighed and lay down on her bed. She was jealous for nothing. She couldn't help but begin laughing hysterically at herself. She was jealous of her best friend. How ridiculous was that?

 _That time Evie got jealous:_

The school was buzzing with the latest gossip of the day. Everyone was going around, telling their friends all about the new student who had arrived that morning. She was a young student, only just in highschool, but she left the whole school in wonder.

Evie walked down the corridor towards her dorm. She heard two of the girls on her floor whispering together. She caught some of what they were saying.

"-more stylish than Evie."

"Really?"

The other girl nodded. She whispered something else but Evie didn't catch it as she walked into her dorm. Doug was already sitting there, trying to figure out some numbers.

"Hi Doug." Evie said, placing her bag down and picking up her appointment book. "Have you heard all the rumours about the new girl?"

"You mean Sarah?" Doug said, turning to face his girlfriend. "Yeah. She seems to have made quite the first impression. Then again, she always did."

Evie lowered the book in her hands and looked at Doug. "You know her?"

Doug nodded, "Yeah, she's Snow White's daughter. I've known her since we were little. There is only three years between us."

Evie nodded. "Oh. Cool. Okay, so no fittings until four-thirty. What are you doing here so early anyway?" Evie asked, realising it was only just after school and Doug never comes this early unless they had a fitting and he's always aware when the fittings are as he has his own copy of the schedule.

"I figured I'd get some of these figures done. That dress you finished last night cost more than we thought it would to make so I need to rearrange some things."

Evie nodded and looked over at the dress which was waiting to be delivered. "Yeah. The price of silk went up slightly. Speaking of, I'd better go and deliver that. See you in a minute."

Doug nodded and Evie carefully put the dress in a dress bag and carried it out of the room. She saw the door of the client was wide open and went to go knock on the open door when she was a girl with pale skin and raven hair, dressed in a yellow dress with a blue cardigan and red flats talking to the client.

"I'm telling you, if a guy likes you in a style that is completely Auradon and not at all VK then it shows that he's not just going through a bad girl phase."

The client seemed like she was almost convinced when Evie cleared her throat. The client and the other girl turned to see Evie standing there, holding out the dress.

"Your dress is done." Evie said, "And Dizzy will finish with your accessories and shoes soon."

The client smiled and nodded, taking the dress and opening it to see a beautiful teal summer dress, with gold accents along the hem. She smiled brightly and thanked Evie, quickly heading over to her purse to pull out some money.  
"Here you go."

Evie took the money and carefully counted it up. "Thank you."

"I thought you only did things with some VK edge." The raven haired girl piped up, as Evie turned to leave.

Evie turned back around. "I do things according to what the customer wants. Abbie here wanted something that could be both VK and Auradon. Pair that dress with some combat boots and a leather jacket, you can look super edgy. Or you can pair it with some simple flats and suddenly, you look like a princess. It's all about accessorizing."

"Thanks again Evie." Abbie put in.

"No problem. I'll see you in Biology, yeah?"

Abbie nodded. Evie smiled and walked out. The raven haired girl followed her.

"Can I see where you work? Because apparently you are the best in Auradon Prep."

Evie nodded. "Of course. I can even make something for you if you want."

The raven haired girl followed Evie to her workspace a.k.a her dorm room.

"Welcome to Evie's 4 Hearts." She said, opening the door.

"Oh, Evie, good timing. You have some orders for lip gloss just come in." Doug said looking up from his computer. "And we're-" he stopped. "Sarah?"

Evie turned around and saw the raven haired girl smiling widely at Doug. "Dougy!" She ran to Doug, who had now stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Doug swung her around and put her down.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"I'm great. I've missed you." Sarah replied, playfully smacking his arm.

"I've missed you too!"

Evie let out a small cough which brought Doug's attention back to her.

"Sarah, have you met Evie?" Doug asked looking back at Sarah.

"Not formally. It's nice to finally meet this Evie who I've been hearing so much about from our little Dougy." Sarah pinched Doug's cheek. He immediately pulled back and playfully glared at her.

"Oi, I'm three years older than you."

"And half-dwarf."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too Sarah." Evie said, "But Doug and I are busy so I'm going to have to ask you politely to leave. I have to get these orders done and I need Doug's help with the lip gloss."

Sarah looked around briefly and her eyes fell on one of the dresses that was a working progress.

"That dress..." Sarah went towards it. "Surely if you did this instead," She rearranged some of the fabric, "It would look way more stylish."

Evie glared at her. "Okay, please leave. I need to work and you're just going to get in the way."

"Look, Sarah, why don't I show you around the school?" Doug piped up, to avoid anger, "The lip gloss isn't needed for quite some time. We can work on it later?"

Evie nodded, still glaring at Sarah slightly. Doug took Sarah's arm and basically dragged her out of the room. Evie took a deep breath and let all the anger out in her exhale. She went over to the dress and saw that Sarah was right. It looked so much better when it was arranged that way. This annoyed Evie. If Sarah had more fashion sense than her, her fashion business could go downhill very fast. She'd be seen as not having enough fashion sense to be a fashion designer. That could not happen.

Evie was still angrily glaring at the dress when Doug got back.

"Sorry about that Eve. Eve? Evie?" Doug called her several times before Evie snapped out of it.

"Sorry, what?" Evie looked over at him.

Doug came over and looked at the dress as well. "Are you mad that she redid your dress?"

Evie nodded looking back at the dress. "Who does that? Who does she think she is?"

Doug shrugged, "She's been into fashion for as long as I can remember. I guess she was so adamant about the fact that she could make it better that she forgot that you're a top fashion designer for a reason."

Evie crossed her arms. "The whole problem is, she _did_ make it better. Am I just not a good fashion designer any more?"

"Don't say that, Evie. You are a fantastic designer. So maybe she was able to improve one dress. It happens to the best of us. You can't always be perfect."

Evie sighed. "I hate this. You know she was trying to talk Abbie out of buying my clothes before I arrived?"

Doug raised her eyebrow. "That doesn't seem like her. Sarah appreciates all designers and she understands everyone has their own style."

"Well, apparently she doesn't like the VK style."

"She'll get over it. Come on, lip gloss? We have half an hour before your next fitting."

Evie nodded and followed him to the lab where together they made a few more bottles of Evie's famous lip-gloss.

She was in the middle of a fitting when Sarah waltzed into her room.

"Leather? Really?" Sarah laughed. The client looked at the jacket that was being fitted.

"I thought it looked cool." She said, slightly hurt.

"Ignore her. It looks awesome." Evie added a few more stitches before stepping back. "You look super edgy."

The client smiled and turned to Sarah. "See, leather is totally edgy and edgy is cool."

Sarah smiled back, though it was obviously fake and maybe even a little sarcastic. "I guess I was wrong. Dougy, let's go."

Doug stood up. Evie looked at him, "Doug? Where are you going?"

"I promised to help her settle in by spending dinner with her." Doug explained. "You don't mind, do you?"

Evie shook her head. "I guess not. Right." She turned back to the client. "Let's take that off. Now what emblem do you want on it?" She heard the door close behind her.

While the client explained the emblem she wanted on the back, Evie couldn't help but think about Sarah and how much she seemed to have a great fashion sense yet sneered on VK edge. Surely, VK edge was in style now. So why didn't Sarah appreciate it?

"We're back!" Doug said, walking in about an hour after the client finally left, Sarah right behind him. "I didn't see you at dinner so I grabbed you some food."

Evie looked at the tray in his hand to see he had brought up a bowl of tomato soup and a bowl of apple crumble.

"Thanks. I've been so focused on getting this emblem right that I forgot to eat." Evie took the food gratefully and laid next to her workspace.

Sarah looked around the room again. "I see you didn't change the design I did. Told you it was better. Hey, would you look at that, I made the famous Evie's work better! I am so putting this on InstaRoyal." Sarah pulled out her phone a took a snap of dress before posting it.

Evie glared at her and began to advance towards her slightly. Doug put his hand on Evie's shoulder and pulled her back. "Let me handle this. Sarah, take it down. It's not nice to do that to Evie."

"So what, it's one dress!"

"Sarah."

"No, Dougy. Let me have my moment of glory. No more after this."

Evie wishes that was true. But soon after, she saw a line of girls standing near Sarah, all of whom where asking her to improve dresses that Evie had made.

"Oh, you do not want that there." Sarah was saying, as she looked at one of the dresses, pointing out a small star that was stitched on the shoulder. "It looks silly to just have one star and why have it so small that you can barely see it. Tell you what, come to my room in half an hour and I'll help you fix it, all of you."

Evie became angry. The pit of her stomach boiled with jealousy as she realised she was no longer everyone's favourite designer. Sarah was apparently better now.

Evie stormed back up to her dorm and flung herself on her bed. "UGH!"

Mal looked over at her. "I take it you saw Sarah?"

Evie nodded. "I just don't know what to do! I thought I was the best designer. Everyone loved Evie's 4 Hearts but now..." She sighed, "Now everyone wants Sarah to help them. To help them improve _my_ work."

Mal came over to her and sat next to her. "Hey, then they're idiots. Trust me, no matter what anyone does, I'm still getting my clothes designed by you."

Evie smiled. "Thanks M."

Doug walked in. "Hey Eve. You okay?"

Mal got up, "I'll give you two some privacy." Mal left, closing the door behind her.

Evie got up and wrapped her arms around Doug for a second before letting go. "Have you seen what Sarah had been doing?"

Doug shook his head. "What has she been doing?"  
Evie began pacing. "Oh that little witch. She's been taking the clothes that _I_ designed and began telling people how to improve them. She keeps going on and on about how what I did was ridiculous and there is no way that my clothes would ever be cool. All my customers have been going over to her, asking her to _fix_ my designs. As if they were broken! And it's totally unfair because I work so hard to make those dresses perfect and she goes and 'fixes' them." Evie threw herself on the bed in such a dramatic way that Doug had to try and keep a straight face.

"So she's been telling everyone that your designs are not cool?" Doug's face grew hard. He pushed his glasses further up his nose with one finger and nodded sternly. "I'm going to go talk to her." He marched out of the room, Evie yelling behind him, asking him to stop. He did so and turned around.

"Look Doug, I know she's a better designer than me. I'm just a bit jealous and I'll eventually get over it. Don't say anything to her. It'll make me look like the whiny princess everyone used to think I am."

Doug took Evie's hands. "Evie, you are not a whiny princess. No one will ever think of you that way. But Sarah needs to be put in her place. She thinks she knows better than everyone but all she knows is her style. She thinks it's superior to everyone else's and she needs to be told where to draw the line."  
Doug planted a swift kiss on Evie's cheek before heading down to Sarah's room. A whole crowd of girls were standing in there, all holding various dresses that Evie had designed.

Sarah was sat at the table, with a needle and thread, trying to unpick the star on the shoulder of a green dress.

"Sarah, stop." Sarah jumped in surprise and put her needle and thread down.

"Doug! What are you doing here?" She asked, handing the dress back to the owner.

"What am I doing here? I'm here to tell you that what you're doing is wrong. I know you think that your style is better than everyone else's but that's just it. It's _your_ style."

He turned to the girl with the green dress. "You're dress was designed with that star as a symbol of who you are, Lily. You shine like a star, even though it barely noticeable to most. But that's okay. Just because it's not seen, it doesn't mean the star isn't there."

Lily looked down at the star and smiled. "I guess. But Sarah said that it isn't cool. What's the point of having a practically invisible star?"

"If you had a problem with your dress, why didn't you go to Evie?" Doug asked, kindly. "She designed each of these dresses specifically unique to all of you. And if you don't like it, she'd be more than happy to help."

"But..." one of the girls piped up hesitantly, "Evie kept one of the designs Sarah. Surely that means Sarah knows what she's talking about more so than Evie?"

Doug shook his head. "It just means that Evie is open to suggestions and not afraid to admit when a design is better. And that was _one_ design."

The girls all looked at their dresses. "I guess this design is very me." One of the other girls piped up.

"And she does know what she's talking about." Abbie, the client who had bought a teal sundress the day before. "I mean, you should have heard her talk about how different accessories can make this dress look like a completely different style."

All the girls nodded together. "Sorry Sarah." Lily said, looking at Sarah. "But Doug's right. Evie's designs our dresses to be _us._ If we wanted the ones you design, we'd just go into town."

And with that, the girls left, all going to apologise to Evie for any pain they may have caused.

"I thought you were my friend." Sarah said, looking Doug in the eye.

"I am your friend. But making my girlfriend feel like she isn't good enough to be a designer is not okay."

Sarah gaped at him. "Then if you're my friend, why would you send my customers away from me? I could make a business out of this!"

"A business out of ruining someone else's designs? That is not okay, Sarah. Get your act together."

Doug turned around and walked out of the dorm, heading straight to Evie.

As soon as Evie saw him, she threw her arms around him. "You're amazing. I guess I was jealous for nothing. All of those girls just came up to me telling me my designs were the best."

"That's because they are, Evie. Your designs are amazing."  
Evie hugged Doug tighter. "Come on, we should get back to work. As a sorry, they all want me to design a new dress or jacket or blouse for them."

Doug laughed and walked with her in to the room where Evie was already pulling out her measurement book and her sketch book.

 _That time Carlos got jealous:_

It was an average day in Auradon Prep. Students going to after school classes or leaving their final class of the day. They were hanging around in corridors or the library or literally anywhere they could find.

Carlos and Jane were walking hand in hand to the library. Carlos, ever the gentleman, was carrying Jane's books for her. Jane was excitedly talking about her day and how cheer practice went so well and how she was so happy that he had convinced her to join because she really fit in the squad. Carlos was just listening and smiling at his girlfriend, who was always getting excited over the smallest of things. He didn't mind one bit. She was so cute when she got excited.

"I mean, if it wasn't for you, I seriously would be not be on the team and I am so happy you convinced me to join." Carlos laughed and squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad you're happy." Carlos replied, smiling brightly.

"Jane!" A voice called. Carlos tore his eyes away from his girlfriend to see Kaleb, Anna and Kristoff's son, walking towards them.

"Hey, Kaleb." Jane replied. "Just go ahead and sit down, I'll be there in a second."

Jane took her books from Carlos and pecked him on the cheek. Carlos smiled at her before nodding towards the library doors.

"Your class awaits." he jokes. Jane laughs and nods.

"I'd better get going. I'll text when it's done." She promised.

Carlos nodded. "I'll be waiting." He quickly bent down and pecked her cheek before walking away, smiling and waving over his shoulder.

Jane waves back and goes into the library. She was tutoring Kaleb because he was falling behind in some of his classes and really needed some help. Jane was shocked that he came to her first but quickly got over it and was willing to help.

They slowly made their way through Kaleb's mountain of homework that he was struggling with and eventually moved on to proper tutoring. Jane was a very good tutor as she seemed to know the perfect way to rephrase questions to get Kaleb to understand what it was asking. She never gave him the answer, just repeated the question while emphasising key bits of information and occasionally, rephrasing it.

The clock struck five and Jane closed the text book. "Right, that's it for today. You did good."

Kaleb smiled at her. "Thanks. Do you think you could help me again tomorrow?"

Jane nodded. "Of course I can." She smiled back at him and collected her books together. She quickly shot Carlos a text:

 _Done here. Want to come walk me to my dorm? :) 3_

Carlos texted back quite quickly:

 _There in 5. 3_

Jane smiled and began gathering her other things, saying goodbye to Kaleb as he stood up to go.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?" he asked, politely. "You have a lot of books there."

Jane shook her head. "I'll be fine. My boyfriend's coming to walk me."

"I don't mind. I mean, surely your boyfriend wouldn't mind if he didn't have to come down to get you?"

Jane laughed. "Try and stop him. He loves walking me everywhere. Classes, my dorm, cheer practice. I can't get rid of him half the time." she joked.

Kaleb's eyebrows contorted in thought. "Why is he so clingy?"

Jane shook her head. "Oh, no reason. Something happened a few weeks ago and he's been very protective over me ever since."

Kaleb nodded. "Oh. I see."

"Jane!" Jane turned to see Carlos coming over.

"Hey." she said, grabbing her books.

"Hey." He replied. "Let me get those." He took the books from her and steadied them under his arm. He held out his other arm, through which Jane looped her own arm. Carlos nodded to Kaleb and bid him goodbye, while Jane waved.

Jane and Carlos walked arm in arm back to Jane's dorm. When they arrived, Carlos handed Jane her books. She smiled and went inside her dorm, putting them carefully away before turning back to Carlos.

"Do you want to take the dogs for a walk before dinner?"

Carlos nodded. "Yeah. That's a great idea."

Jane grabbed Duchess's leash off the back of the door and walked out.  
"Now just to find her."

"I got this." Carlos pulled out a thin dog whistle from under his shirt and blew. Jane didn't hear anything but suddenly Duchess came racing up the stairs nearby and nearly crashed into them, Dude not far behind.

"Woah. They weren't far, were they?" Jane laughed. She clipped the leash to Duchess's collar while Dude just walked with them as he was quite a well behaved dog, despite failing obedience class.

They walked together for an hour or so, just talking and laughing and having fun. When they got back to the school, Kaleb came running up to them.

"Jane, hey. I was just looking over this homework and I'm pretty sure I got one of the questions wrong but I'm not sure where I went wrong. Could you help me?" Kaleb said in one breath.

"Breathe, Kaleb. Yeah, of course I can help you. Carlos could you take the dogs?"

"Uhh..." Carlos looked a bit unsure.

"Carlos, it's okay. Nothing will happen to me."

Carlos took Duchess, although a little hesitantly. "Okay. Text me as soon as your done?"

Jane nodded. "I will, don't worry."

Carlos nodded, quickly planting a kiss on her head before taking the dogs inside. Jane sat down on a pinic bench and took Kaleb's homework from him. She scanned over it before she spotted the problem. "There." She quickly explained where he went wrong and waited patiently while he corrected his mistake.

"Is that it?" Kaleb asked, slightly unsure. Jane nodded. "Are you sure?"  
"Perfectly. See." she showed him why it was right and he nodded his understanding.

"Okay, thanks Jane."

Jane nodded. "No problem. I'll see you tomorrow."

She got up and headed inside.

She texted Carlos once she was inside: _I'm back inside. I'll meet you at the cafeteria 3_

He replied soon after: _Already there. Jay is joining us tonight. That ok? 3_

 _Yep. NP. Be right there xx 3_

Carlos looked up and watched as people entered the cafeteria, eagerly looking for Jane.

"Carlos?" Jay called, for the fourth time.

"Sorry, what?" Carlos snapped his attention back to Jay.

"You know you're being a little clingy, right?" Jay said, "Girls don't like clingy."

Carlos was silent for a moment or two. "I know. I guess I just don't want to let her out of my sight again. After what happened last time."

Jay sighed. "Carlos, that was two weeks ago. He's gone. Let it go, man."

Carlos shook his head. "I can't. Every time I'm not with her, I'm terrified it's going to happen again." Carlos turned his head to see the fairy goddaughter walk into the cafeteria, a plate of burger and chips and a slice of pumpkin pie on her tray.

"Hey." She said to both boys, sitting next to Carlos, smiling. "You okay?"

Carlos nodded. "Yeah, just talking."

As dinner went on, Carlos noticed Kaleb sitting nearby. He seemed to be staring at Jane and this made Carlos uncomfortable. He knew Kaleb was trustworthy but he was still protective over Jane.

The week progressed and Carlos began to notice things Kaleb did more and more. He always seemed to be hanging around after the tutor groups, waiting with Jane while Carlos came to get her, he was always sitting nearby during meal times and always seemed to be looking at Jane.

Jane didn't notice, or didn't care and she began spending more time with him as he always seemed to be needing help with homework.

Carlos began getting slightly jealous as he was becoming more and more afraid that Jane would break up with him for Kaleb because he was being to clingy.

So, one afternoon he got Jane's text: _I'm done here. Want to come pick me up? 3_

He stared at it for a bit before texting back: _Sorry, I have loads of homework to catch up on, do you mind walking by yourself? If not, I'll come get you 3_

She texted back almost immediately. _No problem. I understand completely. Homework is a pain. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you xx 3_

 _Are you sure you can carry all those books yourself? You do have a lot more than usual. I don't mind putting off my homework for a bit to help you 3_

Yep, it was official. Carlos really struggled to let her walk by herself because how protective he was.

 _Don't try to procrastinate Carlos Oscar DeVil. I know you don't like English, but you need to get it done. Don't worry, Kaleb will help me. 3_

Carlos laughed. She knew him too well. It was English homework that he needed to do but that wasn't why he didn't go. He was trying to become less clingy, although that wasn't going very well.

 _Okay, see you at dinner. Love you 3_

Jane didn't text back but Carlos presumed she was just had her hands full and couldn't get to the phone. That or she didn't have anything else to say, which is just as possible seeing as Carlos ended the conversation pretty well. Or was there a different reason? Maybe she was just having too much fun with Kaleb? Nope, now he was over-thinking things. Or was he? Maybe she did prefer Kaleb's company.

Carlos picked up his phone to text her again but decided against it. He'll just see if he can grab some time alone with her after dinner. He opened his laptop and began writing his English essay. He was half an hour into it when his phone chimed.

 _Kaleb is joining us for dinner, is that okay? His friends are away. 3_

Carlos stared at the text for too long. Of course Kaleb was joining them. He'll probably start joining them for everything and in a week or two, Jane will break up with him for Kaleb. He texted back:

 _Sure. See you there 3_

 _C U! 3_

Carlos stared at the text again. Texting language? He and Jane never used that. Why did she suddenly start using it? Carlos threw his phone on the bed in frustration. Nothing was making sense anymore. He sat down and continued his homework.

"Yo, Carlos, want to go get dinner?" Jay was standing in the doorway.

Carlos looked up and nodded. "Be right there."

Jay left and Carlos stood up, saving his work and shutting down his computer in the process. He looked over at a picture of him and Jane that sat on his desk. It was a selfie they took on one of their dates. Jane had printed it off and given it to him for their three month anniversary. He smiled at the goofy faces Jane and him were making at the camera.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Carlos headed out to the cafeteria where he saw Jane deep in conversation with Kaleb. He collected his food and sat down next to her.

Jane smiled at him when he did, kissing him on the cheek before turning back to her conversation with Kaleb.

Carlos didn't listen to the conversation and just picked at his food. Jane noticed this at some point and nudged him, asking him silently if he was okay. He replied with a smile and a nod. She looked like she didn't believe him and grabbed his hand under the table, giving a reassuring squeeze while she continued to talk to Kaleb.

After dinner, Carlos grabbed Jane's arm gently before she left, asking if he could talk to her.

Jane nodded and bid Kaleb goodbye. She and Carlos began to walk outside, slowly. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I've noticed you've been hanging out with Kaleb a lot lately." He began slowly. "And I was wandering if there was anything there that I should be worried about. I mean, he's more good looking than me, he's probably less annoying, he's from a better background-"

"Carlos, stop." She interrupted. "Where is this coming from?"

Carlos shrugged. "I guess I noticed you've been hanging out with him a lot lately. I thought you might be hanging out with him because I've been to clingy lately."

Jane smiled and shook her head. "No, of course not. I don't mind that you've been a little clingy lately. After what happened with Edward, I'm not surprised."

"But you and Kaleb have been-"  
"Studying. Kaleb always needs my help with studying. You'd think he'd be less obvious about his crush on me but what can you do?"

Carlos stopped. "He has a crush on you?"

Jane nodded, turning to face him. "Yeah. You didn't notice. But don't worry, I don't feel the same way. He's just a friend."

"But..." Carlos thought about it for a second. "Why not? He's a lot better than me. Probably less clingy and-"

"Oh shut up, Carlos." Jane laughed before kissing him.

Carlos pulled back but not before kissing back briefly. "Wait, so you don't like Kaleb back?"

Jane shook her head. "No. I promise. I love you, not him."

Carlos couldn't help but grin like a dork before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a kiss. Once they broke apart, they stayed in each others arms until it was getting too dark to stay outside.

Kaleb was actually really smart so he was just trying to get close to Jane but eventually he got over his crush on her and left her alone, meaning Jane had more time to spend with Carlos. As it turns out, she did texting talk because Duchess ran away and she had to go after her but didn't want to not text Carlos back.

Carlos eventually became slightly less clingy although he did spend a lot of time with her still. Neither of the two of them were complaining so it all worked out okay.

 _That time Jay got jealous:_

Auradon prep was buzzing with excitement as the final R.O.A.R game of the season drew nearer. The Fighting Knights had become even stronger since Lonnie became captain and they had a high chance of winning this year.

Jay and Lonnie were training with the team everyday to get ready for the competition. The boys were all getting better and were very much ready when the day finally rolled around.

The arena was full of cheering classmates and rivals. After a encouraging pep talk from the captain, the team put on their masks and headed into the arena. The opposing team were good. Really good. Lonnie was nervous and looked over at Jay. Jay saw her worry through his mask and nodded at her. Lonnie nodded back, suddenly filled with confidence. The nod may have seemed like nothing to others but to Lonnie, she knew it was Jay saying 'I got your back.'

Everyone lined up and lifted their swords. As soon as the game started, Lonnie thought of nothing but swinging her sword and crushing the competition. Everyone was flipping and swinging their swords. The sounds of feet pattering and swords clashing was drowned out by the cheering of the cheerleaders and the crowd. Suddenly Lonnie realised she was the only one left against the opposites teams best player. She lunged and blocked and twirled and flipped until finally she managed to knock the sword out of his hands. She had won.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Lonnie whipped off her mask.

"L-O-N-N-I-E! Lonnie led us to victory!" The cheerleaders were chanting, waving their pom-poms.

Lonnie was hoisted onto the shoulders of Jay and one of the other guys. She smiled as she cheered.

"WAIT!" Someone yelled. Lonnie knew what was coming. It happened after every game. The captain of the other team cam up to them. The crowds stopped cheering and Lonnie was lowered down. "She's a girl."

Lonnie crossed her arms. "Well done. You are not blind."

"That's against the rules!" The captain slammed his fist into his hand. Lonnie began to pick at her nails, bored of the same old speech.

"Jay?" Lonnie said, turning to her boyfriend. "Want to explain? I did it last time."

Jay smirked and held out his hand for Chad to hand him the rule book. "A team shall comprise of a captain and eight men." He read out.

The other team nodded. "Yeah, eight _men._ "

"Well, she's not one of the eight men." Jay replied, handing the rulebook back to Chad. "She's the captain."

The captain of the other team spluttered and tried to reply. The ref came up to them and nodded.

"No rules were broken. Go sit down."

The crowds began to cheer again, all of them cheering Lonnie's name again.

"L-O-N-N-I-E! Lonnie led us to victory!"

The winning team collected their trophy and left, yelling in victory. When they were out of the arena, Jay put his arm around Lonnie's shoulders. They never did anything touchy-feely in the arena in case the other team accuses Jay of letting Lonnie on purely because she was his girlfriend (Which, of course, was ridiculous. They didn't start going out until long after Lonnie was already captain).

"We won." He said, smiling brightly. Lonnie nodded, smiling as well. She laughed with relief.

"We actually won! I was so afraid we wouldn't. But we really are the best."

Jay nodded. "Damn, right we are. VICTORY PIZZA ON ME!" He yelled. He was responded with a loud cheer from the whole team.

Lonnie gave her boyfriend a side hug. "You know the way to a girls heart." She said with a wink.

"What can I say? I'm just great with women." Jay and Lonnie laughed and Jay pulled her in for a kiss.

"Get a room!" One of the boys yelled.

"Shut up, Aziz!" They yelled back at the same time. Everyone laughed and they all walked to the student lounge. The team all flung themselves on various seats while Jay called up the pizza guy.

Jay sat down next to Lonnie on the love seat. Lonnie had kicked of her shoes and now curled up into Jay's side. Jay put his arm around her shoulders again.

"Okay, this is why we can't have girls in the team." Chad said, pointing to the two.

"Shut up, Chad. You're just jealous." Carlos piped up in his friend's defence. Everyone but Chad laughed at that.

After a time of greasy fingers and loud laughs, the team disbanded and went to their activities as it was only just after lunch time. Lonnie and Jay headed different ways, Lonnie wanting to go dance and Jay wanting to hang out with his group.

After getting changed into her dance clothes, Lonnie warmed up quickly before turning on the music. As 'I'm Your Girl' blasted through the stereo, Lonnie began moving, letting the music take control. She was moving quickly and fluently, her moves as upbeat as the song. She ended the song with a head spin, before hopping up onto her feet, panting.

She heard clapping behind her and saw one of team members from the opposing team standing there.

"Oh, hey." She said, grabbing a towel and water bottle. "You guys haven't left yet?" She dabbed her face with the towel and swung it over her shoulder, then she took a swig of water.

"Nope. We stay behind to mingle with the students, to avoid major rivalry."

"Unless you win. Then you go back to your school in victory?" Lonnie replied.

The guy nodded. "True. I'm Max."

"Lonnie." She shook his outstretched hand.

"Yeah, I know. The cheerleaders were insistent everyone knew your name."

Lonnie laughed. "Yeah. They do that to ever MVP of the team. You should have heard them after Jay's first game."

"Jay? He's Jafar's son right? The thief?"

"Ex-thief, yeah. The only things he steals now is tourney balls from opposing teams."

Max walked closer to her. "You have a lot of talent. I never would have thought you were girl with the way you fought out there."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lonnie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, I never would have thought a girl would ever have that kind of skill."

Lonnie crossed her arms. "My mother's Mulan. I'd watch your mouth if I were you."

Max's face was covered in shock. "She is? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

Lonnie shook her head. "You'd better not have."

Max suddenly smirked. "So,uh, does a pretty girl like you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah." A voice growled from behind them. Lonnie and Max turned to look at the new comer. "Me."

Jay was standing there, looking murderous. Lonnie walked over to him and patted his arm before turning to Max. "Sorry, Max. I'm spoken for."

Max looked mad. "Oh really? The thief?" He laughed. "Baby, you could do way better."

Jay cracked his knuckles and advanced towards him. "Call her baby one more time, I dare you."

"Jay, no." Lonnie grabbed Jay and pulled him back. "Not worth it."

Jay didn't move any closer to Max but he kept glaring at him.

Lonnie turned to Max. "I couldn't do better. And if you call me baby again, remember that I may not have my sword on me, but my parents are Li Shang and Fa Mulan. I grew up doing martial arts."

Max threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "All right. But here." He handed her a slip of paper. "When you realise that pretty boy over there is nothing special, just give me a call." And with that he left.

Jay nearly went after him but Lonnie called him back.

"Jay. Were you jealous?" She asked with a laugh as she tore up the paper in her hands.

Jay shrugged. "He was trying to take what was mine. I guard everything I love jealously."

Lonnie put her arms around his neck. "Good to know. But he would never be able to take me from you. I gave my heart to you, and only I can take it back. You don't have to worry about some idiot who thinks he's the best thing to ever walk the earth."

"Well he isn't. That' s me. Obviously." Jay joked.

Lonnie laughed. "Obviously. Come on, let's leave. I'm done here anyway."

She took Jay's hand and dragged him out. They spent the rest of the day together with a bunch of their friends and danced together all night at the victory party. Things could never be better.

 **Here it is! A 4 in 1. WHOOP! Sorry if the Jay one seems a bit rushed. I wasn't sure where to go with the story. Thank you Random for the prompt.**

 **And thank you WinterFreeze MusicGirl for the prompt of the previous one shot. Sorry that I forgot to mention you last time. Also, special thanks to Grace a.k.a. my perfect Auradonian, for helping me with the characterization of all the Core Four  
**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: John ROLFE not Smith. Sorry. Don't mean to be rude but the fact that she married John Rolfe is important to me because according to stories, John Smith and Pocahontas had more of a father-daughter relationship as she was thirteen and he was in his thirties.**

 **Grace: (Chapter 20) I'm glad it did. :) (Chapter 21) There were a lot of emotions. Oops. Lol. But I am so glad you enjoyed it my perfect Auradonian ;)**

 **Guest: Well done. I'm proud of you for standing up to her.**

 **KatieCheese: I completely agree. Bullying is a serious problem and I'm hoping that my message will help tackle some of the issues.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: I am so glad you love my work and yes, Mal deserves everything good in the world**

 **SusieBeast: Some people's minds are just sick and twisted. But they're also broken. Unfortunately breaking others is how some people deal with the fact that they are broken themselves.**

 **Elie201: I don't Bal is in any danger. I think that Dove just wants the love story to take a back seat rather than be the main focus of the story and therefore we can see Mal grow and develop outside of her love for Ben as there has got to be many more layers of her that we could uncover outside of the love story and I think that that's what Dove wants. I don't think she wants to scrap it completely.**

 **Love you guys!  
SparkyGurl**


	23. Calm down (Jonnie)

_1._

Jay was at practice with the rest of the team. They were sparring and flipping and dodging and jumping. Jay dodged another one of Lonnie's strikes and flipped out of the way. They were the final two (again) and were going at it. Jay finally managed to overpower Lonnie and held both his and her sword point first on her chest. Lonnie took off her mask and smiled at him.

"Would you look at that, the student has beaten the teacher." She joked.

"Oh, so you're my teacher now?" He replied in the same joking tone,as he removed his mask.

"Leave your flirting to your own time!" Carlos called over from where he was standing.

"You jealous, Cruella?" Someone else called. Carlos flinched and Jay turned to person who said that. It was Keith, one of the better fighters on the team. Keith laughed when he saw Carlos flinch.

"Aw, are you afraid of your mummy's name wittle Carlos?" The other team mates all began yelling at him that what he was saying was not cool and that everyone was afraid of Cruella. Keith just laughed.

"Are you guys seriously defending this freak?" He questioned, pointing at Carlos who was beginning to look both hurt and angry. "I don't know how about you guys but I've wanted him off the team since he got on. He's useless! He's just a little Mama's boy who's afraid of everything. So, why don't you go back to your mama. I'm sure Cruella has a nice fur coat closet for you to go curl up and cry in."

Carlos suddenly went pale at the mention of the fur closest. Jay on the other hand, was beginning to become red in anger. The rest of the team were in shock. They began muttering together, trying to work out what was wrong with.

Jay cracked his knuckles and began advancing towards Keith. Lonnie noticed Jay and grabbed him.

"Jay. No." Jay tried to shake her arm off but Lonnie wouldn't let go. "Jay." she repeated firmly.

Jay broke out of her grip and advanced towards Keith again. He grabbed Keith by the collar.

"If you ever say anything against my brother, I will-"

"Jay!" Lonnie pulled him off Keith. "Jay, he isn't worth it, okay?"

Jay glared at Keith, who was dusting himself off. "You're crazy." he spat. "You VKs should just go back to the Isle." This time the whole team turned to him and cracked their knuckles. Carlos was now shaking, unable to talk.

"Keith, get out." Lonnie said, a calming hand on Jay's chest. "The rest of you, take a few laps, blow off some steam before we all punch him and lose our place on the team. Go on."

Everyone except for Carlos, Jay, Lonnie and Keith left the arena and went to run a few laps around the tourney field.

Lonnie turned to Jay and rubbed his arm slowly. His glaring eyes left Keith and fixed themselves on her, softening as they did so. Lonnie gave him a small smile and silently asked him if he was going to calm down. Jay took a deep breath and nodded. Lonnie gestured for him and Carlos to follow the rest of the team before crossing her arms and staring Keith down.

Jay swung his arm over Carlos's shoulders and held there protectively, supporting him as they walked out. "Are you okay?" He asked his brother. Carlos nodded and then shook his head.

"I don't know." he whispered. He sat down on the bleachers and looked at his leg. The scar didn't stand out much but if you knew it was there, you could see it. Jay put his hand on his brother's shoulder. Carlos had calmed down, but it was obvious that he wasn't okay.

"You don't have to be." Jay said, holding his hand on Carlos's shoulder in a comforting way.

Lonnie came up to them and wrapped her arm around Jay's waist. "I suspended him from the team. Unfortunately I only have the power to do this for a few days so I'll have to bring this up with Coach. How are you Carlos?" Lonnie let go of Jay and crouched down in front of him.

Carlos shook his head, which he held in his hands. "I don't think I can continue training today. I'm sorry." It was barely a whisper but Lonnie nodded.

"Go do whatever it is you need. Do you need someone?"

"Evie." It was Jay who spoke this time. Lonnie looked up at her boyfriend questioningly. "Evie was his first friend. The first one to care. If anyone can get him through this, it's her."

Lonnie nodded and pulled out her phone, texting Evie and letting her know what happened. Evie was there soon, running faster than anyone had ever seen her run. Lonnie and Jay left Evie to take care of Carlos who had calmed down significantly.

Jay spotted Keith again and there was no stopping him this time. All he saw was red. This guy caused his best friend to go into a bad place. He charged at him, roaring. Keith began running away. Lucky for him, Lonnie caught up with Jay and yanked him back, kicking him off balance. Jay went sprawling to the ground. He didn't feel anything and tried to get back at Keith again. When he stood, Lonnie threw her arms around him and held him there.

"Jay. Stop." Jay tried to struggle but calmed down when Lonnie began soothingly rubbing circles on his back. Jay took a few deep breaths and hugged Lonnie back.

"I swear I'll kill him." he muttered into her hair.

Lonnie continued rubbing circles on his back. "I know, I know. But don't. He's not worth going back to the Isle for."

Jay nodded. "I know. But if he comes near Carlos again-"

"He won't. At least not for a little while. The most we can probably suspend him for is a month but during that time he'll probably have to take some additional Remedial Goodness classes."

Jay nodded again. "Okay."

Lonnie hugged him tighter. "I'm sorry I had to knock you over. It was the only way to stop you. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Jay shook his head. "I'm fine."

Lonnie pulled away from him, "Come on, let's get back to practice." she grabbed the whistle that was around her neck and blew hard.

The boys all came back and they began training again. Keith was eventually allowed back in but he was incredibly sorry for what he did and never said a word against anyone ever and even defend Carlos and Jay when some naive person from another team called them 'Villains'.

 _2._

Jay and Lonnie were sat doing their homework together on one of the picnic table. They were helping each other with different things, especially maths. Jay was good at geometry but struggled with algebra whereas for Lonnie it was the other way around.

Suddenly, this random guy sits next to Lonnie. "Hey babe." he said in a flirty tone.

"I have a boyfriend." Lonnie replied, gesturing to Jay who was sat next to her.

"So? I mean, with a lovely lady such as yourself, it'd be selfish of him to keep you all to himself."

Jay glared at the guy. "She is not an object that you can just share around. She is a human being and I expect you to treat her as such."

Lonnie smiled appreciatively at Jay and squeezed his shoulder.

"I am treating her like a human being. Like a lovely lady who should be getting all the guys, so why not let her get all of them?"

Lonnie and Jay both glared at him. "Because she's mine. So back. Off." Jay said slowly.

"Look who's treating her like an object now." The guy taunted. Jay growled at him and started to get up. Lonnie, however, placed a hand on his leg to keep him down. Jay slowly sank back down but if looks could kill.

"The only reason he is treating me like an object is because you don't seem to understand him when he speaks of me like human being. And at least he treats me with respect."

"I could respect you very much." The guy said, eyeing her up and down. Lonnie shifted away from the guy and towards Jay, incredibly uncomfortable. "I mean, he's a VK. What does he know about respect?"

"Don't I know you?" Jay interrupted, looking at the blonde guy in front of him closely.

The guy looked at him and smirked. "Ah, so you remember me. I was surprised you didn't as you had to try and stop your pathetic little friend from trying to kill me."

Jay began to rise out of his seat again. "Edward." He growled. He cracked knuckles and balled his hands into fists.

Lonnie put a hand on his chest, to stop him from doing anything. "Shouldn't you be expelled?"

"Suspended. For fighting as they had no proof of the claims of harassment."

Jay glowered at him even more now. He had harassed Jane and now he was trying to do it to Lonnie. In front of him, no less.

"Go. Away." Jay said, trying to keep his cool and not punch the guy.

"You can't dictate what the girl wants. I think she wants me to stay." Edward replied, crossing his arms and smiling smugly.

"You know who can dictate what the girl wants?" Lonnie replied, looking Edward in the eye. "The girl. And the girl wants you to leave."

Edward laughed. "Oh, nice try babe. You need to work on your humour a bit but that was a good try at a joke."

Jay now was ready to advance towards Edward but Lonnie stood up and held him firmly, both hands on his shoulders.

"I think you should leave. Now." Lonnie said over her shoulder.

Edward shrugged. "As you wish." He said with a mock bow. "But don't think I'm not done with you yet. Don't worry, once you realise that this thief is no good for you, you'll come running back to me."

"Not even if you were the last man on earth." Lonnie spat at him. Edward laughed and left. Lonnie looked back at Jay who was shaking in anger. "Hey, hey. He's gone. Come on sit down."

Jay obeyed and sat down, still glaring in the direction Edward went. Lonnie took his face in her hands and made him look her in the eye. "He's gone, Jay. Okay? Nothing happened. Calm down."

Jay stopped shaking but his fist were stilled balled up. "Now I know why Carlos hates that jerk so much."

Lonnie stroked his cheek gently. "I know. But he's gone, so forget about him."

Jay nodded, taking deep breaths through his nose. Lonnie leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before dropping her hands and looking back at the homework.

"Okay, so I'm not quite understanding this question, at all."

Jay wrapped his arm around her waist and lay his chin on top of her head while he guided through the question.

Edward tried to talk to Lonnie again but whenever he did, she just left. He tried to hold her back like he did Jane, but Lonnie was much stronger than Jane and was able to break free much easier.

Edward eventually left her alone but that didn't stop Jay from glaring at him every time he saw him.

 _3._

The crowd went wild as Lonnie swung her sword again, knocking the sword out of her opponents hand. She quickly scooped it up and held both swords at up towards the opponent. He removed his mask and bowed in respect. Lonnie mirrored his actions.

The cheer leaders were going while, chanting Lonnie's name.

"L-O-N-N-I-E What does spell? Lonnie! Lonnie! Lonnie!" The crowd took up the chant and everyone was chanting Lonnie's name.

Lonnie looked up at the stands and waved before turning to her team, fist pumped in the air. Her team surrounded her and began chanting her name as well. Jay couldn't resist and scooped her up into his arms.

"That's my girl!" he cried out, as he hugged her tight, swinging her around. One of the boys on the opposing team, who Jay had got out, came over to them.

"Oh, so that's why you let her on the team. Because she's your girlfriend? Biased much."

Lonnie laughed, she'd heard it all before. "FYI, he made me captain before we started going out."

Jay smirked at the boy and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Still, a girl captain? Let me guess. She's your Tourney captain too? Or is she too afraid to get her pretty nails dirty."

Lonnie crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "Never been interested in Tourney to be honest. My dad may be coach of the Imperial Academy but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I like the feel of a sword in my hands more."

"I'm sure that's not the only sword you feel in your hands." The opponent smirked, looking back his team who laughed.

"What did you just say to her?" Jay demanded, advancing on the boy. He tried to reply, but Jay wouldn't let him. "Don't you dare ever say something like that ever again."

"Jay, no." Lonnie grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "We'll get disqualified."

"He's trying to bring down your family honour by dragging your dignity through the mud." Jay replied, "I won't let him get away with that."

Lonnie smiled to herself as she dragged her boyfriend back. It was so sweet that she understood the importance of honour in her family, but it wasn't worth getting disqualified for.

"Jay, you need to calm down." Lonnie dragged him out of the arena, while the rest of the Auradon team were all stood there, arms crossed, staring the idiot from the other team down.

Lonnie forced Jay to sit down on the bench just outside of the arena. Jay was shaking with anger and looked ready to punch people.

"I didn't like what he was implying." Jay said finally, looking over at Lonnie who had sat next to him. "He has no right talking to you like that."

Lonnie ran a hand through Jay's hair. "No, he doesn't. But he was trying to bait us into a fight, so that we'd get disqualified."

Jay nodded, leaning into Lonnie's touch. "Can I go in and kill him now?" Jay asked, only half joking.

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "I think I have a better idea." She took Jay's face in her hands and kissed him on the lips, hard. Jay responded eagerly. When they finally came up for this little thing called air, Jay gave her a confused look.

"What was that for?"

Lonnie smirked at him. "It calmed you down, didn't it?"

Jay rolled his eyes. "I don't know, I'm still a little riled up. Maybe you need to try again?"

"Haha." Lonnie replied. She stood up, taking Jay's hand and pulling him up with her. They stood there for a few seconds before going back to the arena where the coach of the opposing team was scolding the idiot for inappropriate comments, while Coach Jenkins was holding back a very angry looking Li'l Shang.

"I forgot your brother was assistant coach." Jay whispered to Lonnie. "I should have just let him deal with that guy."

Lonnie laughed and shoved him playfully. "No one wants that upon them. He has both of my parents tempers, combined."  
Jay chuckled. "I stand by what I said."

Lonnie shook her head and then turned to him. "Thank you."

"Hmm?" Jay questioned.

"For trying to uphold the family honour for me. You're lucky my great-grandmother wasn't here though. She'd be planning our wedding."

Jay blushed slightly as did Lonnie when she realised what she said. "I didn't mean-Oh, you've met my great-grandmother. You know what she's like."

Jay nodded, still slightly red. "Yeah." He laughed. "She's a crazy old lady."

Lonnie laughed again. "Yep."

 _4._

The day after Cotillion the school was buzzing with excitement as everyone shared their own account of what happened with Uma. Lonnie rolled her eyes at some of the rumours she heard flying around, like Chad, who wasn't even there, jumping down from the boat and kicking Uma in the face which threw her off balance so that Mal could finish her. Lonnie had a feeling Chad spread that one himself.

She walked into the gym to see Jay already working up a sweat by the punching bag.

"Jay?" She asked, dumping her gym bag next to his. Jay didn't seem to hear her and kept going at it, swinging punches so hard, Lonnie figured the only reason he hadn't broken his hand yet was because he was wearing boxing gloves.

"Jay!" She called again, louder this time. Jay stopped mid-swing and turned his head to Lonnie.

"What?" He asked, seemingly annoyed.

"Are you okay?" she walked up to him, noting the tension in his body. "What's got you so riled up?"

Jay rolled his eyes and began to punch the bag again. "What do you think? Uma is still out there." He slammed his gloved fist into the punching bag, sending it almost flying. "And she hurt my family." He stopped and took a deep breath before going back to punching, just not as hard this time. "I've never seen Mal so shattered. And I don't want her to ever again. I just UGH!" He yelled in frustration and smacked the punching bag so hard that it flew almost up to the ceiling and he had to jump out of the way in order to make sure he wasn't hit by it flying back.

"Jay!" Lonnie cried out, as the bag came flying back, missing Jay by mere inches. "Be careful!" Lonnie grabbed the bag in order to slow it down. "You'll seriously hurt yourself!"

Jay just shook his head and ripped off his gloves, throwing them on the ground. He was about to stomp away but Lonnie grabbed his hands. "Sit." She commanded.

Jay obeyed and sat himself down on the benches where Lonnie and Jay had dumped their gym bags.

"I know you're more of a hands on kind of guy and don't like talking about your feelings, but talk to me." Lonnie placed her hand over his. Her delicate touch calmed Jay down slightly.

"I just..." Jay hesitated before speaking. "I'm just worried about Mal and Carlos and Evie and what will happen to them if Uma is able to find them and I can't protect them. I mean, I know they can handle themselves but still. I wasn't able to help Mal when she went to attack Uma, I just stood there, helplessly."  
"We all did Jay. There was nothing we could do."

"But if there was..." he hesitated again. "Maybe I could have protected her better."

"I get it Jay. You're scared. We all are."

"I'm not scared." Jay replied, a little too quickly.

Lonnie raised her eyebrow. "Jay, fear is natural. It's what builds in the fight or flight instinct. It's -"

"Weakness." Jay finished. Lonnie shook her head.

"No. It's not. Jay, if you were not afraid, you wouldn't have been so protective over Mal and Evie and Carlos. It's perfectly natural."

Jay shook his head and stood up. "You don't get it Lonnie!"

"Maybe not but I know that whatever you think you could have done better isn't true. You gave it your all and you protected your friends the best you could."

Lonnie stood up and took his hands in hers. "Look, I know you think you could have protected Mal and Ben from Uma more, but you have to know, sometimes you can't protect everyone."

Jay sighed. "I wish I could." he muttered. Lonnie patted his hand sympathetically.

"I know." she whispered.

Jay straightened up slightly before sighing again, his shoulders sagging. "Thanks for calming me down."

"Of course." Lonnie replied kindly, rubbing his arm.

Jay grabbed his bag and shoved a few things in it. He headed out the door and Lonnie began grabbing things from her bag to get ready for her work out.

"Oh, before I forget." Jay said, walking back in. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

Lonnie looked up at him, slightly shocked but nodded. "I'd love to."

Jay smiled at her and left, feeling much better than he had earlier.

 _5._

The tourney ball flew into the net and just as the clock ran out of time, Jay scored the winning goal. He cheered as he ripped off his tourney helmet, his team mates surrounding him and hoisting him up on their shoulders.

The crowd went wild, cheering Jay's name and Lonnie rushed down the bleachers to embrace her boyfriend when he was finally put down. He was sweaty and disgusting but Lonnie didn't care. She was so proud of him.

"You did it!" She cried as he swung her around.

"Yeah, I know. Villain kids. On the tourney team." They overheard someone saying. Jay put Lonnie down while they both listened to what the member of the opposing tourney team was saying to one of his team mates, obviously wanting the Fighting Knights to hear.

"Both Jafar's son and Cruella De Vil's son are on it. Let's face it, Auradon Prep is going to the dumps."

"Is it?" The other guy replied. "They're just giving these kids a second chance."

"Oh please, one of them is a thief and the other is a tech savvy. Put those heads together alongside to two girls who originally came, then they'll probably take down Auradon."

"No they won't. They tried but then chose good."

The other guy scoffed. "Sure they did. You know, Jafar is unfeeling and cruel and his golden rule is 'whoever has the most gold, makes the rules.' I'm pretty sure that his son is the same." The guy turned to look Jay in the eye when he said that.

If there was one thing that got Lonnie angry, it was people comparing Jay to Jafar. Jay got incredibly upset about it and would always begin self-doubting and Lonnie was having none of that.

"What did you just say?" She said, advancing on the boy. "Say it again to my face!"

Jay grabbed Lonnie and held her back as she swung her fists helplessly. "Let me go, Jay! He's not getting away with saying that to you!" She twisted and turned, trying to get out of Jay's grip. Jay refused to let go and held her fast. "Let me go! I'll show him." Of all the reactions Lonnie was expecting out of Jay, him laughing was not one of them.

Jay wrapped his arms around her, so that he was now hugging her from behind and planted a kiss on her neck. Lonnie stopped struggling and turned her head with a questioning look.

"You need to calm down." He said simply, before practically carrying her from the field, where everyone was cheering them. They reached somewhere private and Jay set her down again.

Lonnie turned to go back to the tourney field, "I don't care what you say Jay. He will not-"

She was interrupted by Jay twisting her around and slamming his lips onto hers.

She pulled away almost straight away and raised her eyebrow at him. "What was th-"

He kissed her again before pulling back and smirking at her. "It's the only way to shut you up. You're getting way too angry. He's not worth fighting."

"He compared you to your father! He's not getting away with that."

Jay smiled at her. "Lonnie, you're amazing to be wanting to defend me but leave it. That's what you always tell me to do."

"I, I, Ugh! I hate it when you're right." She sat down on the ground, her arms crossed. Jay sat down next to her, pulling her into his lap and hugging her from behind, placing gentle kisses across the back of her neck. Lonnie lent her head forward to give him better access and sighed.

"I'm still angry." she mumbled.

"I know." Jay muttered against her skin. He pulled away and turned her head to look at him. "But you need to not use that anger for violence. Something I am very slowly learning."

Lonnie nodded and curled up in Jay's arms. They stayed that way until one of Jay's team mates found them and told them to get moving because everyone was looking for them.

Getting control of anger is difficult sometimes but for Jay and Lonnie, if they had each other near by, calming down was almost no problem whatsoever.

 **So this is not one of my best pieces of work. I'm sorry.**

 **I am also sorry that I've gone a bit AWOL lately. I had a busy weekend and the previous oneshot took a lot out of me. But here is this next one.**

 **Thank you IDon'tEvenKnow for the Lonnie calms down Jay prompt and thank you Owllover34 for the Jay calms down Lonnie prompt. Sorry if it's not any good.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I don't blame you, don't worry. And I can't blame Carlos either. Also, go ahead, I won't hold you back, lol**

 **Grace: Awww thank you my perfect Auradonian! Thank you so much for helping me on this one as well! I hope you enjoyed this one as well**

 **xez2003: It's Bal, how can you not be biased about it, lol.**

 **SusieBeast: Awww thank you so much! I'm glad I could make you fall in love with Bal all over again. Definitely something I try to do as much as possible**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Thank you! You rock too!**

 **Elie201: I nearly cried with happiness when I saw your review. You are such a sweet heart!**

 **Owllover34: Kamryn and Tommy seem like absolute sweethearts. I will enjoy writing about them when that time finally comes.**

 **Love you guys!  
SparkyGurl**


	24. Surprise!

The Core Four were sitting in Mal and Evie's bedroom, chatting away when someone randomly burst in through the wall. Don't worry not a dorm wall. Those were fine! It was a very different wall.

The four VK's jumped up in fright. Evie let out a little shriek, Mal gasped, Carlos yelled and Jay got into a defensive stance.

I stood up straight and dusted of my clothes. "Sorry guys. That was louder than I thought it would be."

Mal was the first to get over her shock and glared at me. "Did you seriously just break the fourth wall?"

"Uhhh..." I said, twiddling with my ring. "Maybe?"

Evie shook her head, disappointedly, while the boys laughed and Mal rolled her eyes.

"Okay, SparkyGurl, you do realise that wall is there for a reason right?" Mal said, "You're not meant to interact with us."

"I know, I know." I quickly ran up to them and sat down with them. "I just have a special project for you and I wanted to be a part of this one. But we'll need a few more people first."

I snapped my fingers and Ben, Lonnie, Harry and Uma as well as Jane and Doug, all appeared. They looked at me confused.

"Why are you here?" Jane asked, "I thought you weren't supposed to interact with us."

"She isn't." Ben studied me, "Unless it's an emergency which is so unlikely to happen that I doubt it is."

"Not an emergency per se, just a favour?"

The characters all glanced at each other. Mal and Ben seemed to be having a silent argument.

"We're going to say yes, whether we agree or not, aren't we? Because you're still controlling our actions." Ben said, finally turning to me and breaking eye contact with his girlfriend.

I smirked. "Well, duh."

There were a lot of eyes rolled around the room.

Ben came to a conclusion. "Well, we'll help, I guess. We're going to have to do it anyway so might as well do it willingly."

"Wouldn't we be doing it willingly, even if we didn't want to? Because she controls our emotions as well." Carlos piped up.

"Okay!" I raised my hands. "Not the time for an existential crisis. We can do that later. First things first, I need a favour."

"A new wardrobe?" Evie asked, almost hopefully.

I looked down at my flannel dress shirt and boot cut jeans. "What's wrong with my wardrobe?" I asked looking back up at Evie.

Evie shook her head. "Nothing. It's just, you know, it could use a bit more sparkle and bling."

I pulled a crystal necklace out from where it was hiding under my shirt. "This enough sparkly and bling for you? Now, let's get on with the favour."

After snapping my fingers and getting a few more people into the room, I explained to them what I needed in as much detail as I could. (I love that I can do that without actually having to go into detail. Saves me so much time and they still understand what I mean perfectly) They all listened quietly, though I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have, had they had the choice.

They all agreed to do it and began receiving the various jobs from me. I snapped my fingers and they all went to the various places where I needed them to be.

I turn to you guys. "I won't be breaking the fourth wall for much longer, don't worry. I will however still be in the story."

I snapped my fingers. Suddenly I am dressed in a blood red top with black jeans and my blonde hair, which is normally in a pony tail, is down and has slight curls. "Now, I am just Grace Gothel. The others aren't going to remember me breaking the fourth wall. I thought I'd just do that for fun. Come on. We have stuff to do."

I snap my fingers and suddenly we are in the school gym. "This is where the fun is." I looked around. "Oh, right. This shouldn't be in first person anymore. Sorry."  
I snapped my fingers again.

Grace looked around the gym. She noticed something and headed over to Jane, who was the main decorator. "That blue there, is too dark. It needs to be a very specific shade of blue."

Jane looked over at the decorations. "Oh, you're right. We do have the right shade somewhere, let me see if I can find it." She called someone over. "I said royal blue. That's a couple shades to dark. That's from the Halloween party. Can you go get the royal blue banners instead? Thanks."

Grace looked around again. "Are you sure everything is going to go to plan? I want this to be perfect."

Jane looked around as well. "I'm sure it will be. Why don't you go check on the others. I'm sure everyone has something they'll need help with."

Grace nodded. "Okay. Yeah, I'll go see."

Grace walked out of the room, twisting the ring on her finger around and around. It was a gift from her mother. Her mother taught Selfishness 101 and always said that a ring can make you look more powerful in just about any photo. While that's not what Grace believed any more, it didn't mean she was about to give up something that belonged to her mother, no matter how villainous she was.

She ran into Mal, who was looking over something with Ben. "Oh, hey Mal."

"Hey Grace." Mal turned away from the paper that her boyfriend was holding and looked at the blonde haired VK in front of her.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Grace asked hopefully, looking over at the paper.

Ben looked up and smiled before shaking his head. "We're just trying to chase up the people who haven't responded to the RSVP yet."

Grace nodded and began fiddling with the earring in her ear.

"Why don't you go check on Evie? As soon as she's finished for the day, she'll help you get ready." Mal said kindly, as she typed in the next number into her phone.

Grace nodded and went to find Evie. Evie was grateful that was Grace was there and got her to come with her to deliver dresses to people coming to the party. Grace was also asked to help her clean up before Evie started the make-over.

Dressed in a blood red dress, with a sweet-heart neckline and a trumpet skirt, her hair done up in an elegant bun on the back of her head, with two small pieces of hair falling down either side of her face, Grace entered the gym and went to her spot. They waited for five or so minutes after turning the lights off before they heard a quiet "What's going on?"

The lights flicked on and everyone jumped out of their hiding place, yelling "Surprise! Happy Birthday Annie!"

Balloons and streamers of royal blue and violet came flying from above where a student had released them from the nets. Annie stood there in shock. She ran out of the room for a minute, as everyone had expected her too, but then she came back in, smiling. She squealed with joy and spun around to get a good look at the place. Evie and Jane ran up to her and embraced her in a hug. Annie hugged back, squealing with happiness. While everyone else went up to her to wish her a happy birthday, Grace hung back, her arms crossed in a casual way as she waited for the tiny crowd of people to disperse. Due to Annie being an introvert, it was only a small party with close friends and family.

Annie finally managed to be on her own and caught Grace's eye. Barely containing a grin, Annie approached her.

"Grace Gothel." she said as firmly as she could despite smiling widely on the inside.

Grace cocked up her eyebrows in a sort of challenging way. "Annie Gold."

Then, both of them were unable to contain it any longer and broke out into grins, embracing each other for the first time in a few months.

"How have you been?" Grace asked, as she pulled away from the hug.

"I've been amazing. The places I've travelled, it was like a new world! I've been to Neverland and to Cinderellasburg and you should have seen South Riding, you'd have loved Tangletown."

Grace smiled at her friend. "I'm sure I would have. But come on, they're bringing out the cake."

And what a magnificent cake it was. It was three tiers, each one having different coloured icing. The top tier was small, covered in gold icing. Below that was a slightly larger cake with purple icing and white sugar flowers. Finally, on the bottom tier was a large cake, covered in blue icing and trimmed with gold.

Annie squealed in delight and blew out the candles shaped as a 20 on top of the cake. Everyone cheered and Annie began cutting up the cake, handing it out. Once everyone had a piece, Annie and Grace grabbed their own piece, with a massive dollop of ice cream on each (double chocolate chunk for Annie and mint-chocolate for Grace) and sat down, digging in the delicious chocolate cake (Annie likes chocolate, okay? Don't judge!)

Eventually, music began playing and Aziz walked up to Annie. He presented her with a single blue rose and asked her to dance. Annie happily accepted, holding the rose delicately in her hands as she place her arms around his neck and swayed gently to the music, her blue dress with small golden roses that seemed to fade into the blue, swishing slightly around her feet.

Ben watched his sister from a distance, smiling at her as she happily danced with Aziz. Mal looked over at him and smiled. "She's okay, you know." she said gently, placing her chin on his shoulder.

Ben nodded. "I know." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "It's just...after she handed the throne to me, I was afraid that she'd never come back because she was unhappy here. So seeing her here...it's like a dream come true." He looked at Mal, who was nodding in understanding, gazing at Annie and Aziz as they held each other close, Annie's head on Aziz's chest.

"Yeah. But I don't think she was unhappy here. I think she just knew you would be the better king." Mal looked him in eye. "And I think she made the right decision. You're an amazing king. And being queen would have been difficult with her anxiety."

Ben nodded. They watched as Evie and Doug, and Jane and Carlos, now joined the dance floor, as well as Annie's closest school friends and their partners.

Ben held out his hand for Mal and she took it hesitantly. "You know I still will step on your feet, right?"

"Well, apparently I look adorable when I'm in pain so," Ben grinned as Mal gave him a look. She laughed and kissed him briefly before heading out to the dance floor. And yes, she did step on his toes during the dance, both on purpose and by accident.

Carlos spun Jane around and caught her in his arms again before slowly moving to music. Jane giggled and followed his steps. "So..." Carlos began, wanting to make conversation while they danced, "Small parties are quite nice."

Jane nodded. "Yeah. Annie is quite introverted and she has anxiety so big crowds have a tendency to get too much for her. So we invited closest personal friends and they could all bring a plus one."

Carlos nodded and then stopped. "Yeah. You did an amazing job on the decorations, by the way."

Jane blushed. "Thanks. Violet and Royal Blue are her favourite colours." Carlos nodded again and pulled Jane closer.

"You look gorgeous tonight. Have I told you that?" He said, mesmerized by this girl in front of him. Jane giggled and blushed again.

"Only about fifteen times." she joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Well, it's true." he said, leaning down slightly. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And you are so cute when you blush."

Jane went even redder. "Now you're just being cheesy." She said, smiling.

Carlos grinned, "It's making you smile isn't it?"

Jane grinned back. "I guess so."

"Then my work here is done." Carlos leaned down and captured Jane's lips in a sweet, short kiss. When they pulled apart, Jane rested her head on Carlos's shoulder and they swayed together gently to the music.

Meanwhile Jay was standing next to the DJ table where Lonnie was controlling the music, watching the couples while she looked down at her DJ board. "So, you volunteered to do music. Aren't you going to dance at all?"

Lonnie shook her head. "Maybe. I don't think so though. You'll just have to dance with someone else or suck it up and stay with me."

Jay shrugged. "Well, option two doesn't sound too bad. I'm not much of a dancer anyway."

Lonnie raised her eyebrow at him. "What about the coronation? And cotillion? And at the Isle?"

Jay held his hands up in defeat. "Okay, so I can dance. But still, it's more fun to dance to upbeat songs, with you."

Lonnie smiled at him. "If I can find a way to get away from being the DJ, I'll see what I can do."

Smirking, Jay looked over at her. "That's good. Be a shame if I didn't get to dance with the prettiest girl in the room."

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being corny."

"You love it."

"Keep telling yourself that." She joked. She looked over at the dancing couples and smiled as the song came to an end. "Hold on a second." She said, before grabbing two microphones. She headed over to Mal and Evie who had just separated from their respective partners and took the microphones from Lonnie. While they went up on stage, Lonnie went back to the DJ desk.

As soon as she heard the music start playing, Grace grabbed Annie. "It's our song!"

(Bold is Evie and Italics is Mal. Both is them singing together, and normal is the story)

Evie held the microphone up to her mouth and began singing.

 **I didn't know what you, were going through.**

Grace dragged Annie out to come dance with her.

 **I thought that you were fine, why did you have to hide?**

 _I didn't want to let you down, but the truth is out,_

 _it's tearing me apart, not listening to my heart._

Mal sang as well, looking over at Evie.

Annie and Grace began to twirl around each other, and move gently to the music.

 _I really had to go._

" _And I would never stop you."_

Annie and Grace had heard this song when Evie and Mal had performed it for the new VKs who had come to Auradon as a reminder that it was okay to still be friends with people on the Isle and that while change is scary and happens a lot, it shouldn't have to affect your relationships with people. Ever since they had heard it, Annie and Grace adopted it as their song, which they would sing a lot.

 _Even though we've changed._

 **Nothing has to change.**

 _ **And you can find me in the space between.**_ The girls on stage sang together as people gathered on the dance floor to dance together. Annie and Grace had joined hands and were now spinning together

 _ **Where two worlds come to meet.**_

 _ **I'll never be out of reach.**_

' _ **cause you're apart of me**_

 _ **so you can find me in the space between.**_

 _ **You'll never be alone**_

 _ **No matter where you go.**_

 _ **We can meet**_

 _ **in the space between**_

 _And nothing can stay the same_

 _It's growing pains._

 **Be proud of all the scars,**

 **they make you who you are**

 **I know you have to stay**

 _But I'll never really leave you_

 **Nothing has to change**

 _Even though we've changed_

 _ **You can find me in the space between**_

 _ **Where two worlds worlds come to meet**_

 _ **I'll never be out of reach**_

' _ **Cause you're apart me**_

 _ **so you can find me in the space between**_

 _ **You'll never be alone,**_

 _ **no matter where you go,**_

 _ **We can meet in the space between**_

 _There are no words left to say_

 **I know you gotta find your place**

 _But this not the end_

 **No, your part of who I am**

 _ **Even if we're worlds apart**_

 _ **You're still in my heart**_

 _ **It will always be**_

 _ **You and me**_

 _ **YEAH!**_

 **You can find me in the space between**

 _ **Where two worlds come to meet**_

 **I'll never be out of reach** _(I'll never be out of reach)_

' _ **Cause you're a part of me**_

 _ **so you can find me in the space between**_

 **You'll never be alone**

 _No matter where you go_

 _ **We can meet**_

 _ **In the space between**_

 _(Yeah!)_

 _No matter where you go_ **(No matter where you go)**

 _ **We can meet**_

 _ **In the space between**_

The whole gym erupted into cheers. Evie and Mal smiled and waved as they walked off the stage.

"Thank you ladies!" Lonnie called into her microphone that was sat on the desk. "Now that we're all in the mood, here we go."

Lonnie began to play a more upbeat song.

"Now this is more like it!" Uma said, pulling Harry with her. They began dancing together, throwing some shapes and showing off their hip-hop dance skills.

The other VKs (including Grace) quickly joined them and soon they were dancing like crazy. The AKs all shrugged and joined the VKs, enjoying themselves immensely.

When the song ended, everyone went to take a break and sit down. Annie and Grace sat down with a bowl of ice cream each, chatting quietly with each other and a few other people.

Finally, Lonnie stood up to the stage and told everyone that as much as she hated to say it, curfew was coming and Fairy Godmother would be kicking them out soon. Everyone got the message and began gathering stuff and helping clear away so that the gym was ready for gym class in the morning. On the way out, after the gym was cleaned up and there was just enough time for everyone to get to their dorms or off the campus, Annie gently stopped Grace.

"You planned this didn't you?" she asked, gently.

Grace grinned shyly. "You've been so good to me since I arrived in Auradon. This is the first celebration I had to spend with you and I wanted it done right."

Annie hugged Grace. "You're pretty amazing."

"I know." Grace joked, hugging Annie back. "I'm fabulous."

"Vain much?" Annie replied, pulling back and laughing, "Kidding."

Grace smiled at her. "I know you are." Grace glanced down at her watch and sighed. "Curfew. I got to go. But, I'll walk you out first."

"I see you're still my little VK. Breaking the rules but not getting caught?" Annie joked.

Grace slung her arm around Annie's shoulders. "Of course. And you're still my perfect Auradonian. Always good and still incredibly humble."

They laughed and the fifteen year old walked with the newly twenty year old to the limo, laughing and joking the whole way.

To Annie, this really was one of the best birthday's ever.

 **Happy Birthday Grace!**

 **Okay, so first of all, thank you for letting me use your beautiful name for my character. And second of all, I'm sorry. I may have lied when I told you I was taking notes for the backstory. I was gathering information for this story. I'm sorry. I want this to remain a surprise.**

 **Also, sorry if Annie seems a bit OOC but I finished writing this before we started writing together. But anyway, Happy Birthday my perfect Auradonian!**

 **If anyone wants to see more Annie and Grace, let me know and I'll talk to Grace about publishing the story we worked on. No promises though.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Owllover34: That totally would happen and yes, he would be VERY overprotective over his daughter. And hold on to those for a little while longer. I'll let you know as soon as I want more xx**

 **Grace: Of course I do. ;)**

 **DragonEmperor999: 1. I agree, but what can you do? And yes, yes she does. 2. Oh, I wanted them to. But they're smart. If they don't react violently, they won't get into trouble. 3. Think about it, Li Shang and Fa Mulan both have quite big tempers. Now combine them into one and it becomes dangerous. 4. I thought so too, lol. 5. Awww, thank you.**

 **BillaB: Yes, they are very awww worthy.**

 **Love you guys!  
SparkyGurl**


	25. Christmas Special

Snow was falling gently, settling on the ground and slowly covering the whole place, making it white like a big fluffy pillow. All of Auradon was asleep and would wake up to a great surprise.

"Mal, Mal wake up. You have to see this." The purplette groaned and dragged herself out of bed towards the window where the blue haired princess was almost bouncing in excitement. Mal rubbed her eyes and opened a curtain to see the whole ground covered in white powder.

"Is that snow?" Mal asked, suddenly wide awake. They had never experienced snow on the Isle but they had read about it in some of there books once they arrived in Auradon.

Evie nodded. "I think so. Look how beautiful it is!" There was a knock on the door and Mal went to open it, as Evie hid, still not ready for the day, having only just got up.

Mal opened the door to see a red-nosed and rosy cheeked Ben standing there, wearing his Isle hat, with a blue and yellow scarf and blue gloves as well as a thick winter jacket.

"Hey." He said, removing his hat and pulling off his gloves. "It's your first snow day, right? I thought I'd come see if you wanted to come see it up close and personal."

Mal looked out the window and nodded. "Yeah, just let me get changed." Ben nodded and waited in the hall while Mal got changed. When the weather had started getting a bit more on the chilly side, Ben had instructed the VKs to go buy some winter gear so they wouldn't catch a cold. Mal finally opened the door and waved goodbye to Evie who was finishing off her make-up. She was dressed in green skinny jeans and was wearing a dark purple jacket, with a green scarf wrapped around her neck, as well as a purple set of gloves and a dark purple hat over her light purple hair (which was slowly fading back to it's natural violet colour)

Ben held out a gloved hand to Mal, which she took, and led her outside. She squealed when her boot clad feet touched the snow. It crunched under feet, which she wasn't expecting and she squatted down and touched it. She jerked her hand back when her finger made contact. It was really cold. Ben laughed at her reaction. Mal turned her head to look at him only to get a face full of snow which knocked her off balance and she fell into the previously undisturbed white powder. Ben laughed loudly, holding a hand full of snow in his hands. Mal got the idea and sat up.

"Oh, game on!" She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at him. It smacked him in the arm. Ben chucked his snowball at her again, hitting her back, while she was kneeling in the snow making more snowballs. Mal gave him an evil smirk and stood up, chucking snow balls at him. Ben gathered more snow and chucked it at her again. They spent the good part of half an hour chucking snow at each other until they were stopped by a scream of frustration. They both whipped around to Audrey, dressed in a pink coat and a fake fur cap. One of the snowballs had hit her in the chest.

"Audrey!" Mal cried out. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was throwing."

"Obviously." Audrey cried out, "Ugh! I got this coat last Christmas!"

"It's just snow, Audrey." Ben replied, "It'll dry."

Audrey sighed. "Fine. But still! Watch where you throw your snowballs next time."

"Sorry Audrey." Mal apologised. Audrey walked off and continued on with her day. Mal and Ben decided to get inside and have some breakfast and a hot chocolate before they both froze. They walked hand in hand into the cafeteria, Mal obviously deep in thought.

They sat down, hands wrapped around mugs of hot chocolate. Mal played with the handle of the mug, not really drinking it.

Ben noticed this as he brought his mug to his lips for another sip. He paused and slowly put the mug on the table in front of them. "Hey, you okay?" he said, looking at Mal with his soft eyes.

Mal nodded. "Yeah, yeah." She took a sip of her hot chocolate, "Just thinking."

"About?" Ben pressed gently.

"Nothing important. Just about something Audrey said." Mal looked down into her cup, staring down at the liquid that swirled around the base.

Ben thought back to the conversation they had with Audrey, if you could even call it a conversation. They barely said anything.

"What did she say?" he asked, not being able to find anything.

Mal shook her head. "Nothing. Just something about getting the coat at Christmas. Is that what you do in Auradon at Christmas? Receive coats?"

Ben shook his head. "Not exactly. Why? What did you do on the Isle?"

"Nothing." Mal replied, shrugging. "We didn't celebrate it."

"Oh." Ben looked at his hot chocolate before looking up again. "Well, at Christmas, we spend time with family, there is normally a big family meal and then there is games and such and we exchange gifts with family and friends."

"Gifts?" Mal looked at him slightly confused. "So Audrey got a coat as a gift? Seems like a bit of waste of a gift. Surely it should be something more meaningful?"

Ben coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "I got her that coat."

Mal blushed. "Oh. Well I'm sure she loved it. I mean, you know, it's nice of you to buy clothes for her." Mal replied getting more embarrassed with every word she said.

Ben laughed. "She'd been eyeing it for ages. I figured I'd get it for her seeing as she seemed to want it."

Mal nodded. "Right. Because you were still going out with her." Mal looked down at her fingers.

"Mal." Ben said, grabbing her hand. "You know I love you more than I ever cared for Audrey, right?"

Mal nodded, squeezing his hand ever so slightly. "Yeah. Sorry. I don't usually get like this. So Christmas. Why?"

Ben thought about it for a while. He began to explain to Mal how a long time ago the winter months were the time of year where the poor had no means of warmth or sometimes even food, so rich people used to give to them to make sure they did. Over time the celebration grew into something where everyone was giving to loved ones.

"We also sing songs and have games and there is always a big family meal." Ben explained. Mal listened with great interest, especially seeing as she was always told that Christmas was a time where the heroes found an excuse to indulge themselves and turn their children into brats.

"Sounds like fun." Mal sighed. "Do you..." she hesitated a bit. "Do you think me and the others could join? I know we don't have family here technically but I'd like to experience Christmas."

Ben nodded. "Of course! Christmas is for everyone. I've been looking forward to spending our first Christmas together for months."

Mal grinned. "Okay. So, we all go out and buy our loved ones gifts?"

"If you want to. It's your first Christmas so we won't expect too much from you if anything."

Mal nodded. "Maybe. But it's our first Christmas. I want to try and make it special for everyone."

Ben grinned and leant closer to her. "And to think you used to think you were the most evil of them all."

Mal grinned back. "Oh shut up." She said, before pecking him on the lips. Ben grinned at her again before leaning in and stealing another kiss. Mal pulled away giggling and picked up her mug of hot chocolate, finishing the contents.

Ben drained his as well and they both placed their mugs on the dirty dishes line before heading back to Mal's dorm. Mal was very quiet on the way and this concerned Ben slightly but he quickly realised his concern was misguided because when he asked what was wrong, she replied that she was merely planning ideas of what to buy for her friends and family.

"We need a shopping trip!" Evie exclaimed once Mal had told her all about Christmas. "We can go buy presents together. And we'll take Jane and Jordan and Lonnie and Ally with us! And Audrey too if she wants."

The boys were slightly less enthusiastic.

"So, let me get this straight. We need to buy presents for our friends for a specific day?" Jay asked, trying to get his head around it.

Ben nodded. "That's the general idea. But if you don't want to go out and buy something there is always online shopping."

Carlos immediately perked up. "Online shopping? So I can do it on my computer?"

Ben smiled and nodded at him. "Of course."

Carlos snatched up his computer and immediately began searching online. Ben directed him to the best website and Carlos started surfing the website to find good gifts.

Ben laughed and explained that they still had a few weeks before Christmas so they didn't have to rush around to sort out the presents now. The boys nodded and waved at Ben as he left to go open an animal shelter for wild life animals in need.

Carlos pulled up another tab on his computer and typed 'Christmas Traditions' into the search bar.

A long list of various articles popped up and he clicked the top pick.

He looked through the traditions listed, trying to commit them all to memory so that he could make this a good Christmas. One tradition stood out to him.

"Hey, Jay. Come check this out." Jay got up off of his bed and looked over his friend's shoulder.

"Mistletoe?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. Apparently if two people stand under it, they're supposed to kiss." Jay contemplated this briefly.

"Auradon has some weird traditions." He finally concluded, standing upright again.

Carlos nodded in agreement. "I'm going to dig deeper, see what I can find."

Jay looked at Carlos in confusion. "Carlos, it's Christmas, not the Dark Web."

Carlos shrugged. "I want to know has much as I can." He began typing so fast that his fingers basically flew over the keyboard.

Jay shrugged to himself and sat down again, turning the TV on to watch the sports channel.

In the girls room, Evie was going through a large list that she'd made.

"How do you come up with gift ideas so fast?" Mal asked, looking at the list that Evie had just finished writing.

"It's my job to know what makes people uniquely them. So I can apply that to gift giving as well." She responded putting the list down and looked over at Mal, who groaned and slammed her head into her pillows.

"I have no idea what to get anybody."

Evie sat down on the bed and stroked her hair gently. "It's fine M. It's not that big of a deal. Just go out to town and buy something you think we'll like."

Mal shook her head. "No, E. It's our first Christmas. I want to make it special."

Evie nodded in understanding. "Well, you could make a list of things people like or that you know they want or would love and go from there."

"You make it sound so easy!" Mal complained, sitting up. "I just want to do this right."

"I know Mal. You know what, let's just go out into town for a whole day. And then we can see if we can find anything."

Mal nodded. "Okay, sounds good, I guess."

Evie smiled brightly. "I'll call the others and we'll go out tomorrow!"

Mal sunk back into her pillow and sighed.

"What's wrong now?" Evie asked, smile dropping from her face.

"What if I mess this up? What if I get someone something they hate? What if I do something to ruin Christmas and everyone's memories of it?"  
Evie laughed. "You're not going to mess this up Mal. It's Christmas. A time of joy. A time of love. A time of family." Evie took Mal's hands into her own. "There in no way you can mess this up."

Mal laughed humourlessly. "You do know me, right? Daughter of the most evil villain in the world? Messing up being good is in my genes."

"M. Now you're just being ridiculous." Evie said, putting her hands on her laps. "It's Christmas. Think happy thoughts and smile."  
Mal pouted at her. "But-"  
"No buts. Pout away. Smile. Christmas shopping is not as hard as you're making it out to be. You are being a drama queen."

Mal looked at her offended. "I am not a drama queen."

Evie raised her eyebrow at her. "You were freaking out about ruining Christmas because you don't what to get people. You're being a drama queen."

Mal sighed. "It's more than just the gifts, E. Aren't you even a little bit worried? We don't know any of the traditions, we don't know any of the songs that Ben told me they sing and worst of all, we don't even have a family to share it with."

"But, M, we are your family."

"I know E, but that's not what I meant. I mean, all these kids are going back to their family for the holidays but us VKs? None of us are going anywhere. And what about Dizzy? And the Anti-Heroes Club? And the Gaston twins? They all don't have family either. And we know nothing about Christmas so how can we give them the Christmas they deserve if we don't know how?"

Evie slumped slightly, looking dejected. "I don't know, M. But we can try. We can ask the AKs. They'll probably help us."

Mal sighed again. "I guess."

Evie leaned over to her and gave her a hug. "It's going to be okay, M. Let's make this the best Christmas ever in any way that we can."

Mal nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Let's do that."

Jane began to back away from the door. She'd arrived to catch up with the girls because they hadn't just hung out for a while but when she arrived, she couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Evie was calling Mal a drama queen but the way Mal had answered was what made Jane stop and listen. As she walked away, Jane pulled out her phone.

"Hey, Ben?" She spoke quietly into the phone. "I just overheard something and you may want to help me do something about it."

The next day, Mal, Evie, Jane, Lonnie, Jordan, Freddie and Ally all walked to town together, wrapped up in warm hats, gloves, scarves and coats. They trudged through the snow, which had fallen even more over night and was still lightly falling as they arrived in town.

Mal moved her scarf away from her mouth and nose so that she could speak. "So what's the plan?"

Evie split them all into groups, her and Mal, Jane and Lonnie, and Jordan, Freddie and Ally would make up a three. They'd all go shopping in their groups, then they would meet up in an hours time and swap the groups around so that everyone could buy for everyone.

This plan worked well and after an hour, the groups came back, some people laden with presents, others not so much. They swapped the groups around so Evie was now with Ally, Mal was with Freddie, and Jane, Lonnie and Jordan made up the three. They all split up again and went shopping in various stores, and at lunch time, everyone went to eat something before splitting up into three groups one last time.

Mal and Jane walked around town for ages as Jane had been stuck the whole time for what to buy Carlos.

"Jane, he'll love anything you get him. It really doesn't matter." Mal reasoned, trying to calm her down.

"But it's his first Christmas in Auradon. And our first Christmas as a couple. It needs to special."

Mal laughed, quietly, remembering that she was thinking the exact same thing about her and Ben. About Christmas in general, actually. It was the first and firsts are important.

"Well, make him something."

Jane looked at her, confused. "Make him something? But..." She trailed off unsure of what to say.

"Look, Carlos would love anything that you get him, trust me. Anything. But, he would find the gift more valuable if you put your time, effort and heart into it."

"But what would I make?" Jane asked.

Mal thought about it and then replied, "Anything that will make him think of you whenever he looks at it. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it's something you can be proud of every time you see it and something that makes him think of how amazing you are every time he looks at it."

A lightbulb went on in Jane's head. "I got it. I know what I'm going to do. Thanks Mal." She hugged Mal tight before letting go and heading straight towards one of the stores that were on this busy street. Mal followed on, laughing to herself at Jane's enthusiasm. It could be annoying sometimes but at other times it could be very endearing.

After Jane had gathered all the supplies she needed, she and Mal headed back the rendezvous point. They were the first ones there so Jane explained her whole plan for what to do for Carlos while they waited.

"He'll love it." Mal exclaimed after Jane finished.

"Really?" Jane questioned. Mal nodded, smiling brightly.

Jane smiled back, feeling pleased with herself. The other girls finally arrived and everybody headed back to Auradon Prep, as it was too cold to just hang around.

A few days passed by and presents had been wrapped and put away for the holiday which was only two weeks away now. School had finally finished, meaning that people were packing to go home the next day. The VKs were to stay in Auradon Prep as Fairy Godmother was yet to find a place for them to go. She promised she'd try to have it sorted by the summer holiday but until then, all the VKs would have to stay at Auradon Prep for the holidays.

Evie immediately tried to make the best of it, claiming they had a few weeks to do whatever they want in the school. She had a few plans for what to do to make the most of their time.

The VKs waved their friends off as they all left, wishing them a Merry Christmas, trying not to seem too down about not having a home to go back to.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ben whispered to Mal as they hugged before he left to go back to Castle Beast for the holidays. Mal nodded.

"Yeah. I have my family here. And I'll come to see you on Christmas Eve to drop off your gift." She replied, smiling at him as she pulled back from the hug.

Ben smiled back and nodded. "Okay." he quickly pecked her on the lips. "I'll see you soon?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah. See you soon."

With one last peck on the cheek, Ben put his stuff in the limo and waved before getting in. Mal waved at the limo until it was out of the gates. Sighing, she made her way through the snow back into the school.

Evie was in the cafeteria getting Jay and the Gaston twins to help her move tables.

"What are you doing?" Mal asked, removing her scarf.

Evie looked over at Mal and smiled. "Oh, we're putting the tables together so that we can make it more family-like."

Mal smiled back. "E, you are a genius."

Suddenly they heard a yell and the sound of running feet. "Jason! Give it back!"

Mal exchanged a glance with Evie. "Speaking of it being more family-like."

Jason came running in and was caught by Jay grabbing his collar while Dizzy came rushing in after him. Mal grabbed Dizzy and held her back before things got messy.

"What is going on?" Evie demanded, crossing her arms.

"He stole my glue gun!" Dizzy exclaimed trying to get out of Mal's arms.

"I need it!" Jason replied, pulling the glue gun from his pocket. "Otherwise I can't finish my project that's due after the holidays."

Evie sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Jason, we're in Auradon. You don't steal, you ask. Give it here."

Jason reluctantly gave Evie the glue gun and Evie turned to Dizzy. "And Dizzy, don't run and scream in the halls. Ask him nicely and if that doesn't work, you come to me."

Dizzy looked down, ashamed. "Sorry Evie."

Evie gave her the glue gun and a side hug. "It's okay Diz. Just try to remember next time okay?"

"I still need it." Jason piped up.

Evie turned to him and raised her eyebrow. "So what do you do?"

Jason looked confused for a second before it dawned on him. "Oh. Dizzy, can I use the glue gun?"

"What's the magic word?" Dizzy shot back, with giggle.

Jason looked even more confused. "Abracadabra?"

"She means please. And Jay, let him go now." Jay looked disappointed but he obeyed Evie and let go of Jason.

"Can I please use your glue gun?" Jason tried again, sounding unsure.

Dizzy smiled and gave it him. "I want it back soon though."

Jason nodded and took off again. Dizzy gave Evie a hug and then ran off again.

"Would you look at?" Mal said, in wonder. She looked over at Evie. "You are officially the mother of the family."

Evie gave Mal a look before laughing. "Right, come on boys, let's stick these tables together."

After a dinner together with all the VKs together, Evie packed everyone off to their dorms because Fairy Godmother was still here so curfew was still a thing. On the way to their dorm, Mal kept joking about Evie being the mother of the family, which annoyed Evie slightly but she couldn't help but smile anyway.

In the morning, the girls woke up to the boys banging on their door. Evie hid under the covers while Mal opened the door.

"It's just Jay and Carlos." Mal said, looking over at Evie. Mal, Jay and Carlos were some of the very few people who were allowed to see her without make-up as she trusted them the most. Evie poked her head out of the covers and got up. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Carlos handed her a parcel, with a tag that read. 'To the Core Four. Open as soon as you get it'

Mal stared at it. "What? Where did you get this?"

"It was sitting under the school Christmas tree." Jay explained.

Evie came over, taking the parcel from Mal. "Well, let's open it then." Mal let the boys in and everyone sat down in the room. Evie looked at everyone and they all nodded, watching as Evie opened it slowly. Out from it fell a key and several pieces of paper. Jay picked up the key and examined it while Mal picked up the letter that she saw among the pieces of paper. Carlos noticed a map and grabbed it. Evie picked up the remaining piece of paper which happened to be instructions.

They all looked at each other confused before Mal read out the letter.

 _To Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos,_

 _I'm sure you guys are confused as to why you found a package under the tree but I promise all will be revealed in due time. Read the instructions and use the map to help you. See you at the end._

 _Merry Christmas,_

 _Ben_

 _P.S. The instructions are enchanted so they'll only reveal the next step once you have completed the one before it._

Mal looked up after reading the letter. "Evie?"

Evie looked at the instructions. "Step 1: take the key and go to the point labelled A on your map."

Carlos looked at the map. "Ben's office?"

Mal took the key from Jay. "This is the key to his desk draw." Mal said, after studying it briefly.

"So, we go to Ben's office? If he's not there, won't it be locked?" Evie inquired.

Mal grabbed her keys from her desk. "I have a key. Let's get dressed and go."

"Okay, give me an hour." Evie replied.

"Sounds good to me. Meet you guys in the cafeteria in an hour?" Mal said, looking at Jay and Carlos. The boys nodded and left, leaving Mal and Evie to get ready.

An hour later, once they were all dressed, fed and wrapped up warm, they headed out to Ben's office. Mal tried the door to find that it was unlocked, and Ben was inside.

"Hey." He said with a smile, looking up from his work. "You got the package already?"

Mal smiled back and nodded. She walked in and the others followed her.

Ben checked his watch. "Well, you guys are earlier than we expected. I have to go."

Mal pouted. "Aww, why?"

"I'll explain later." He pecked Mal's lips and grabbed his things before heading out. "Lock up behind you, okay?"

Mal nodded and went to the desk draw. She opened it with the key and saw an assortment of things lying there.

"Uh… Evie? Step 2?"

"Step 2:" Evie pulled out the instructions. "Take the grand opening scissors and go to the point B on your map."

Mal raised her eyebrow and removed the overly large scissors from the draw. She placed them in their box and picked it up. "What on earth will we need these for?" she wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but let's humour him."

"Point B, that's the museum." Carlos said, reading the map.

"The museum?" Mal questioned.

Carlos nodded so Mal shrugged and led them all out of the office and together they headed to the museum.

"Okay, so we've arrived at the museum, with the scissors. Now what?"

Evie took out the instructions. "Step 3: Go into the Hall of Villains and take a selfie with your parents."

The Core Four exchanged glances. Carlos gulped. "The Hall of Villains?"

Evie nodded. "Look, I know we're all scared, but they're just statues. We can do this."

Jay nodded in agreement and clasped his hand onto Carlos's shoulder reassuringly. Mal grabbed Evie's hand for reassurance after what happened last time when they went to steal the wand.

They all walked in and smiled at various people who were looking around. The Hall of Villains had been closed off but when the guard saw them, he let them through.

"I've been asked to reserve this place and not move anything until you guys had come and gone."

They nodded their thanks and went to the statues. Rather than being absolutely terrified of them like they expected, what they saw made them burst out laughing.

Evil Queen had a red cape, lined with white fur draped over her shoulders and a red night cap that had a fake white wig under it. The apple she was holding had tinsel hanging from it and the frame she was standing in was covered in tinsel as well.

Cruella had a bag of gifts hanging from her claw like hands, and had a sparkly silver wig placed over her hair, which made it looked like she had massive tinsel dreadlocks. Her mean face was covered by the tinsel so you couldn't see it and her coat was removed, leaving her in a simple but fashionable grey dress.

Jafar had a santa hat on top of his turban and a fake beard hanging from his ears. A fake reindeer was placed under the leg he was holding up and the hand that was not holding his staff looked like it was grabbing the fake reindeer's ankle. The staff appeared to shooting tinsel out of the cobra's mouth.

Maleficent had reindeer antlers stuck between her black horns, which were ravelled in pink tinsel with sleigh bells hanging from the top. Her black clothes were covered in various brightly coloured clothes.

The Core Four looked at each other and burst into laughter at how ridiculous their parents looked. Evie took out her phone and everyone got together for a group selfie with their parents in the background.

They were still laughing when they bid the guard goodbye as they left.

"That was brilliant." Jay laughed, wiping his eyes. "What's next?"

"Step 4: Send us the selfie." Evie read.

"Who's us?" Jay asked

"P.S. Us is Ben, Doug, Jane and Lonnie." Evie read out again. She shrugged and pulled out her phone, sending the selfie to the listed people as well as her siblings.

Everyone smiled as their phones pinged in their pockets. Step 5 appeared on the instructions.

"Step 5: I hope you got a good laugh, now go to point C on your map."

Carlos checked the map. "That's Auradon Prep."

Mal rolled her eyes and they all walked back to Auradon Prep. Standing in the courtyard, Mal turned to Evie. "What's the next step because I am getting really cold."

"Step 6: There will be outfits lying on all VKs beds. Get everyone to put theirs on?" Evie said the last bit like a question.

They all shrugged and began searching for the VKs. Once everyone was rounded up, they were all sent to their dorms, with direct instructions to put on whatever was on their bed, without complaining.

Evie and Mal entered their room to see a formal dress laid out on each.

Mal immediately recognised hers. "Didn't you make this for me for formal occasions?" She said, picking up the long sleeved dress on the bed. It was a deep amethyst with a portrait neckline and a floor length A-line skirt. Evie nodded, picking up her own.

"I made this for me not too long ago. I never got the chance to break it out." She turned to the long mirror that was behind her and placed the long sleeved, cobalt maxi dress, with a straight skirt and a sweet heart neckline, against her body.

"I guess we put them on?" Mal asked, looking over at Evie who nodded. They both got changed quickly and put on their high-heeled boots before Evie sorted out their hair into elegant up-do's, both of them wearing a tiara on top of their heads. The girls grabbed the capes that were left them and tied them around their shoulders, Evie's being red lined with white fake fur and Mal's being such a dark purple it was almost black, trimmed with grey fur. They fastened them with brooches that had were shaped like their parents symbols.

They met up with all the others, each of them looking very formal, and together they read the final step.

"Step 7: Gather all the VKs, get in the limo. The driver knows where to go. Don't forget the grand opening scissors."

So, everyone piled into the limo, careful not to wrinkle anything because Evie was being a bit of a neat freak about the outfits, and they drove off.

Finally, they arrived at their destination and the chauffeur opened the door for them, and they stepped out to see a crowd of people standing around waiting to be called to be seated. They were standing outside a large building with numerous windows and a welcoming, homely look about it. Mal took the scissors from the chauffeur and walked up to Ben, who was standing on the platform waiting for them.

"Ben?" Ben turned to Mal. "What's going on?"

"Mal, hey." Ben pecked her cheek and took the scissors from her, putting them down before wrapping his arms around her waist. "All will be explained in due time. Tell me, did you have fun on the hunt?"

"I was confused for the most part but yeah, it was all right."

Ben grinned at her. "Well, it should be worth it. Sit down." Ben gently gestured to the seats behind him and went to stand at the podium.

"Can everyone please take a seat now? Thank you." Ben waited until everyone was seated before beginning. "As all of you know, not long before I took the throne, I had made an official proclamation which meant that the children on the Isle of the Lost were given a chance to come live here in Auradon. However, the four that originally came over, as well as all the arrivals we've had recently, they had nowhere to go besides Auradon Prep." Ben began explaining the importance of having a home and a family and somewhere to go when school was over. It went on for a few short minutes before he finally picked up the grand opening scissors. "So, in honour of every VK, I declare Home Away From Home now open!" He cut the ribbon that was in front of the door. This was responded with a massive applause. Mal got up from her seat and attacked Ben with a hug while everyone else began to mingle and get some food from the buffet table.

"Ben, this is amazing! You're amazing. A home for kids who have nowhere to go? You're amazing." She kissed Ben hard on the lips. Ben kissed back eagerly before pulling back.

"Merry Christmas." he whispered, with a goofy grin.

"Merry Christmas." She replied.

The next day, all the VKs had officially moved into Home Away From Home. A bunch of friends joined them to decorate the house for Christmas. Holly was placed in the corners of the living room and hallway, a wreath on the front door and garland lined the banisters. The tree was up and decorated, the star twinkling on top and the lights bringing smiles into the room. Above the living room, dining room and kitchen doorways hung mistletoe, so people suddenly became careful not to walk through doorways at the same time as someone else, except for Ben, who took every opportunity he could find to steal a kiss from Mal whenever he visited.

With the house decorated and the VKs feeling like they finally had a home, Christmas rolled around quickly. All the AKs had agreed to come spend Christmas afternoon with the VKs after spending the morning with their families. On Christmas morning, after a breakfast of bacon and eggs from Evie and cinnamon rolls baked by Mal, they all sat around the Christmas tree opening presents. Mal had received a large collection of art supplies from her friends, ranging from canvases to pencils. She had even received a packet of spray paint from Evie so that she could spray paint her room in the Home and make it more Mal-like. Evie had received a lot of different make-up supplies as well as a few gift cards for different shops. She also received a few books which looked incredibly interesting. Jay had received tickets to the professional tourney game that was happening after new year from Evie, Mal and Carlos (they all pitched in to pay for it) and everyone else had bought him different pieces of Tourney and R.O.A.R merch and gear. Carlos got loads of dog-related things, including a new vest for Dude from Evie. All the other kids got amazing gifts from their friends, all delighted to finally be able to unwrap presents for the first time in their lives, all of them like children on, well, Christmas, despite most of them being around the same age as the Core Four.

After a hearty lunch and a lot of dirty dishes being washed, everyone got up and went to the living room to play some games. The AKs arrived halfway through a game of charades and had immediately joined in. Once the game was done, everyone just chatted and enjoyed each other's company. Jay and Lonnie were both quite active and found themselves needing to walk around more than just sit down and talk.

At one point, Lonnie stopped Jay.

"What's up?" he asked, as she placed her hand on his chest.

Lonnie leaned to whisper in his ear. "Look up."

Jay looked up to see the white berries of mistletoe hanging from the door frame. He looked down at Lonnie again and smirked. "Well I guess that means I have to do this."

He pressed his lips against hers, gently, locking them in a passionate embrace. Lonnie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Eventually they pulled back because of this little thing called air, which they needed.

Jay looked up at the mistletoe. "You know, I think I like this tradition." He said, looking back at Lonnie with a cheeky grin. Lonnie grinned back, pulling him a bit closer.

"So do I." She said, before kissing him again.

Meanwhile, Ben and Mal were curled up together. "I have something for you." Mal said suddenly. Ben raised an eyebrow at her, smiling.  
"Oh?"

Mal got up, much to Ben's disappointment, and grabbed something from under the tree. She sat next to him and handed the present to him. Ben took the present and carefully unwrapped the blue wrapping paper. He opened it to find an electronic photo frame, which was already slowly going through pictures of him and Mal.

"I figured you'd eventually run out of space on your mantelpiece so now you can have as many photos as you want and it only takes up the space of one." Mal explained. She looked at Ben's face which was still fixed on the frame before asking, "Do you like it?"

Ben looked up at Mal and Mal internally sighed with relief at the bright smile on his face. "Mal, I love it." He hugged her. "Thank you."

Mal hugged back, relaxing in his warm embrace. Ben slowly pulled back and looked her in the eye, smiling, before reaching in to his blazer pocket and pulling out a small box, wrapped in red paper.

Mal took the box when he held in out to her and unwrapped it. She opened the box to find a beautiful glittering hair piece. It had three jewels in it, one blue and two purple on either side. From the purple jewels sprouted two dragon wings and from the blue jewel hung a claw.

"Beast and dragon." Mal realised out loud. She turned to Ben, smiling brightly. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Only the best for my little dragon." he said, taking it out of the box and clipping it into her hair. He moved his hand from her hair and slowly stroked her face, before cupping her cheek.

She smiled at him and leaned into his touch, her eyes closing for a brief second. "That explains why I ended up with you." She said as she opened her eyes to look at him. Ben smiled and leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips before pulling back and pulling her towards him so that they could cuddle again. Mal complied and wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her head on his shoulder. They sat together and watched as the VKs all messed around and had fun with their new stuff.

Doug and Evie stood in the kitchen while Evie prepared dinner, talking.

"Hey, I have something for you." He said. "Let me just go get it."

Evie nodded and waited while he went to fetch her present. He came back with a large box wrapped in red paper with white snow flakes on it. Evie wiped her hands before taking it from him. She unwrapped the gift to find a dress-up doll, like the ones she'd seen little girls play with in commercials and such. It had realistic blonde hair, and had a blue dress on, with a collection of other dresses beside it as well as a collection of plastic shoes sitting along the bottom of the box. Evie looked up, a few tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh Doug." she said, hugging the box to her chest.

"I remember you saying you never had any toys as a kid and I know you're not a kid any more but I wanted you to have that opportunity that loads of kids have had in their life."

Evie smiled at him, a tear escaping her eyes. Doug wiped it away with his thumb gently. Evie put the box down and hugged him, happy tears falling onto his shoulder. Doug rubbed her back, smiling. Evie pulled back, not letting go, and gave him a watery grin.

"I love you." She whispered.

Doug grinned back and kissed her on the forehead gently. "I love you too."

Evie wiped her eyes and pulled away. "The food will burn." She said, turning back to the dinner she was preparing. Doug smiled and watched her as she collected herself and returned to cooking. She kept throwing smiles at him over her shoulder and they stood together in comfortable silence.

Carlos was searching for something in his room when Jane knocked on the open door, hiding something behind her back.

Carlos looked up and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey. What are you doing?" Jane asked curiously.

"I uh..." Carlos looked around. "I misplaced your present." he told her honestly.

Jane giggled. "It wouldn't happen to be that box wrapped in red paper with 'Jane' written on the top, would it?" She said, pointing at a small box that sat on his bedside table. Carlos followed her finger and saw it, face-palming himself.

"I am officially the most oblivious person ever." He muttered. Closing the dresser draw he was searching through, Carlos went over to the table and grabbed the box. "Merry Christmas." he said, holding it out to her. Jane gratefully took and pulled her other hand from her back and offered the gift that she was hiding to him.

"Merry Christmas." she replied, grinning. Carlos took the present from her and held it in both hands, staring at it.

Jane looked at him nervously. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Carlos shook his head and smiled at her. "No, it's just...I almost don't want to open it. I mean, this is our first Christmas together and I feel like if I open it, Christmas is over."

Jane smiled and sighed,almost inaudibly. She put her present down and took Carlos's from his hand.

"Carlos, Christmas is more than just the presents." She explained, taking his hands in hers. "It's about spending time with your loved ones and being together. And, yes, we celebrate it with gift giving, but that's not what's important. Christmas is a time of love and joy. So, Christmas isn't over as soon as you open the gifts. It lives on, in our hearts, for far longer than the Christmas season."

Carlos smiled at her. "Really?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, really. Now go on and open your present, I worked really hard on it and I want to see your reaction."

Carlos picked it up, grinning. "You know I'll love it, whatever you gave me, right?"

Jane nodded again. "I know."

Carlos slowly unwrapped the gift and his mouth fell open in wonder when he saw what it was. Jane had made a collage of pictures and text conversations. There was the first selfie they took as a couple, right after Cotillion and they were both wet and tired but smiling brightly in the dim lights on the boat. He had his arm around her and was making a silly face in the camera, while she just laughed her adorable laugh. There was a picture of their first date, which was taken by one of Carlos's friends because they decided to follow them. Carlos and Jane were walking hand in hand around a duck pond in a park near Auradon Prep, smiling, looking satisfied with life. There were lots of other silly selfies they had taken together and loads more photos taken by friends. There were a couple photos that they'd taken of each other, like one where Jane had fallen asleep on his bed, curled up next to Dude. She had been sitting on his bed, waiting for him to finish Tourney Practice but she'd hadn't had much sleep the previous night so she found herself falling asleep on his bed. He couldn't bring himself to wake her so she'd slept on until dinner time. There was also a photo of Carlos, with a little bit of chocolate smeared on the side of his mouth because he was not paying attention to what he was doing with his spoon as he talked to Jane and accidentally missed his mouth. Jane had found it so funny that she had taken a quick photo of him, while he pouted at her in annoyance. Among other photos of them was a few screenshots of their cutest text conversations, mainly about how great the other person was and how amazing it was to be their significant other and how lucky they were (they're a sappy couple, okay? Leave them alone). The collage was framed with light brown wood and around the edges of the frame, were ribbons of black,red, white and baby blue weaved together.

"Do you like it?" Jane asked anxiously, "I would have added a pink ribbon as well but pink clashes with red so I just kept all your colours and only used baby blue for me."

Carlos looked up at her and smiled brightly. "I love it. It's amazing. It must have taken so much work."

Jane shrugged. "Not really. I'm just glad you like it."

Carlos put the picture on his desk and wrapped Jane in a hug. Jane hugged back, squeezing him tightly. Carlos pulled back and gestured to the package in her hands.

"It won't be as amazing as what you gave me, but I hope it's okay."

Jane peeled the paper off the present and found a blue jewellery box. She opened to see a beautiful necklace. It appeared to be half a heart, with jagged edges, like it was broken. It was made of silver and sat on a silver chain. Jane stared at it open mouthed. "Carlos it's beautiful." she said, pulling it out of the box and putting the box down. Carlos reached under his shirt and pulled out a necklace of his own.  
"I have the other half." He explained. "To show that we may seem broken apart-"

"But together we are whole." Jane finished, smiling as she held the necklace delicately in her hands. "Put it on me?" She asked, handing him the necklace and turning around, lifting her hair out of the way. Carlos clasped the necklace around her neck, he fingers lingering there for a second before pulling his hands away. Jane turned around and smiled, her fingers playing with the heart. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Not as beautiful as you," he murmured, moving a piece of hair out of her face. Jane blushed and smiled at him.  
"Come on, dinner will be ready soon." Jane took Carlos's hand and pulled him gently out of the room.

They walked hand in hand down the stairs until they reached the dining room. Jane stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. She held both his hands and grinned at him. "Thank you, Carlos. You've made this the best Christmas ever."

Carlos grinned back. "No, thank you. You made my first Christmas one I'll never forget." Suddenly Dude came bounding over and pushed Carlos towards Jane. Jane had to catch him as he stumbled forward.

"Dude! What the heck?" He explained, after he steadied himself.

"Look up lover boy." Dude replied before running away.

"Look up? Wh-" Carlos looked up and saw the mistletoe hanging above them. "Ah."

Jane followed his eyes and giggled when she saw the plant hanging above them. "That dog." She said, shaking her head.

Carlos nodded. He then looked down at Jane again and smiled sheepishly. "Well, we wouldn't want to break tradition, would we?"

Jane grinned and placed her arms around his neck. "I guess not."

Carlos leaned down and gave Jane a long, sweet kiss.

"Get a room!" Claudine Frollo yelled, as she walked into the dining room via the kitchen door, to help set the table.

Carlos and Jane pulled apart and laughed, turning to see Evie with her phone out, glaring at Claudine.

"Evie!" Carlos exclaimed.

"What? I'll send it to you! Gosh." And with that, Evie scampered back into the kitchen.

"Send what?" Jane asked, looking at Carlos.

"I think she took a picture of us." He said, looking back at Jane, smiling.

"No respect for privacy." Jane laughed. Their phones pinged and both of them pulled theirs out to see that Evie had indeed taken a picture of them and had shared it to the group chat.

Carlos rolled his eyes and stuck his phone back in his pocket, swinging his arm around his girlfriend and going into the dining room to help set up.

The Christmas dinner was one of the best things anyone had tasted. Everyone was completely full by the end of it and went to sit in the living room for a song together before the day ended.

It was honestly the best first Christmas ever and everyone knew that there were even better ones yet to come.

 **MERRY CHIRSTMAS EVERYONE!**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yeah, that probably won't happen often. It was just a special thing for my friend's birthday**

 **Grace:** ** _What can I say except You're Welcome!_** **Lol, but seriously, you are so welcome. And I've been working on this since you told me when your birthday was. It was bit of a side project until a week ago and then it became top priority. Also, another lie I may have told, I was never stuck on the Christmas Special. I was just trying to find an excuse to tell you why I had so little for it done while I was working on your surprise. And I have a feeling our friendship is going to take far beyond anything we could ever imagine. Oh yeah, and thanks for helping with this one.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **Merry Christmas!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	26. Vaccines (Bal)

It was late one afternoon in Auradon and the king and queen stood in their daughter's room while the royal doctor got all her stuff out for thr vaccines. Queen Mal was cradling her two-month-old baby in her srms, cooing at her and reassuring her.

"It'll all be over soon Baby Bear." she said calling her little girl affectionately by her nickname. Ben smiled at his wife as she gently kissed Lia's nose. Lia had her little hand clasped around one of Mal's fingers, giggling as she looked up at Mal with her big green eyes, the same shade as Mal's.

The doctor nodded at Ben and turned to Mal. "Do you want to sit down and give her this?" She held out a pacifier. "It's been dipped in sugar water. Sucking and cuddling will help ease the pain."

Mal sat down on the rocking chair next to her baby's crib and the doctor began to explain how Lia would only need three shots as the five vaccines had been plaved into combinations so that there were fewer needles. Ben and Mal nodded in understanding as Lia sucked happily on her pacifier.

Ben saw Mal's shoulders tense as the doctor picked up the first needle and went over to her, rubbing her shoulders reassuringly. Mal looked up and smiled at her husband before focusing on her baby who was giggling. Mal couldn't help but grin gently at her little bundle of joy who sat on her lap. However, Lia began crying as soon as the doctor gave her her first shot. Mal's grip tightened slightly, her own tears welling up in her eyes. She closed them and looked away. Ben put his other hand on her other shoulder and rubbed them, hoping to comfort his true love, even if just a little bit. Mal opened her eyes and looked back at her baby, who's little face was scrunched up in pain.

Lia cried louder as the doctor gave her the second shot. Mal began to rock her baby slightly. "Shh, Baby Bear. One more."

The doctor requested that Mal hold still while she gave Lia her last shot. The last shot was over quickly and Mal now picked up her baby and held her to her shoulder and rubbing her back gently. "Shh, it's all over. It's all over."

Lia's cries quieted down a little while after the doctor left. As soon as she stopped crying and went to sleep, Mal handed her to Ben, who kissed his baby's cheek before laying her down in her crib, pulling her little yellow blanket over her gently. Mal stood next to Ben as they watched their child sleep for a few minutes. Ben took Mal's hand and led her through the door in the side of the room which led to their bedroom. As soon as they sat on the bed, Mal burst into tears and held onto Ben as though her life depended on it, crying into his chest.

"Hey, hey. Shh." Ben said, wrapping his arms around her and lightly rubbed her back. "What's wrong?"

"I never want to hear her in pain again." Mal sobbed, "I can't."

Ben pulled her closer, "I know, honey, I know. I don't want to hear it again but pain is a part of life. And these vaccines will make sure she's a healthy baby."

Mal nodded, still crying and not letting go of Ben. "I know Ben. But I can't listen to her crying in pain. I'm terrified. What if I'm the cause of that pain?"

"Mal, no." Ben pulled back and looked his wife in the eye. "Don't ever say that. You are an amazing mother and would not cause Lia pain. Don't ever think that."

"But-"

"No buts, Mal. You would never do that to Lia. And don't try to use your mother as an excuse. You are not your mother and you never will be."

"My mother was the cause of most of my screams as a child. She'd cause me more pain _because_ I was crying. I don't want to do that to Lia but I'm afraid I will."

Ben grasped Mal's shoulders firmly. "Mal you are not going to do that to Lia. I know you and I know you have a lot more love in your heart than Maleficent ever did. I know she hurt you but I also know you won't hurt Lia in the same way. Okay?"

Mal nodded. "But hearing her crying in pain, it just brought it all back."

Ben sighed sympathetically and pulled her back into a hug. "You're safe from Maleficent and you're safe from her influence. She won't harm you, okay?"

Mal nodded, grasping her husband's shirt in her fist. "Okay." Mal still didn't let go though. She stayed in the hig as long as she could.

"You must be exhausted." Ben murmured into her hair after a while. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

"But it's not even dinner time." Mal grumbled.

"You're exhausted. Sleep and I'll wake you for dinner." Mal agreed tiredly and Ben laid her carefully on the bed. She pulled him back when he tried to move.

"Stay." she mumbled. "Don't leave me."

Ben lay down next to his wife and wrapped an arm around her, his eyes fixing on Lia's bedroom door. "Never." he whispered, kissing the top of her head as he watched the door, behind which his little daughter slept.

He had everything he'd ever wanted. A beautiful daughter and a loving wife. He would never let anything harm them. He knew that his only desire was to keep them safe and happy and he would do everything in his power to make sure that happened.

 **Okay, so this one was short. I'm sorry.** **But I do have some things to ask of you guys. First off, remember Annie and Grace from 'Surprise!'? Well, I have a story about them thst can be published if you guys want it. There is a poll on my profile about it and I was hoping you guys would go vote on it for me. It's a simple yes or no question so if you could that, that'd be great.** **Secondly, I've decided to do a New Year special this year. So, if there is anything you want to see in thud special, feel free to request it. I can not promise I will do all the requests that are given to me but I'll try to do as many as possible.** **Thank you, Kate Cheese for the prompt. I hope I did well with this one.** **Response to Reviews:** **DragonEmperor999: Aww, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.** **Grace: What can I say? I'm just fabulous. Lol, jk. But seriously, thank you. Your constant support and help makes this writing process all the more enjoyable.** **Kate cheese: Merry Christmas to you too and I am glad you see it as a Christmas gift because that was the intention. :) Yasss. Bal fluff is the best thing to write (except maybe Janelos. My OTP, lol.)** **Elie201: Maybe you should write it ;) Yay, I'm glad I made your Christmas wish come true, lol. Thanks for the constant support, as usual :D** **EvelynGrimhilde6: Awww. I hope that's a good thing, lol.** **xez2003: I'm glad you liked it so much.** **LOVE YOU GUYS!!!** **SparkyGurl**


	27. Romeo and Juliet (Devie)

The sun was shining in Auradon and the birds were singing sweetly in the trees. The students of Auradon Prep were doing whatever it is they did in their spare time. One particular student was walking slowly towards the door of the dorm that belonged to his amazing girlfriend and her best friend. Carrying a bouquet of flowers in his hands, he approached the door and knocked, straightening his green bow-tie a bit as he waited for the door to be opened.

Doug smiled as Evie opened the door, revealing her to be in a blue cocktail dress, matching her hair which fell down her back, with nothing but a small red apple shaped hair pin in it, pinning back her hair ever so slightly.

"Heigh-ho." Doug breathed. Evie giggled which caused Doug to come out of his daze. "For you." He said, holding out the bouquet. Evie smiled and took the bouquet from him. She smelled the flowers, inhaling their beautiful scent before handing them to Mal.

"Can you put them in the vase on my desk?" she asked, sweetly. Mal nodded and carefully took the bouquet from her. Evie grabbed her small red clasp and took Doug's outstretched hand.

"Have fun!" Mal called as Evie and Doug began to walk away. She closed the door behind them and went about her business.

Evie and Doug walked hand-in-hand off of campus and towards the theatre. Evie was excitedly grasping Doug's hand hard.

"I can't believe I finally get to see a Shakespearean play!" she exclaimed, once they found their seats in the theatre.

Doug smiled and chuckled softly at his girlfriend's excitement. "Well, I hope it doesn't disappoint too much. It's hard to understand a word they're saying half the time."

Evie smiled back. "I'll be fine."

Doug nodded. "I know you will. Oh, look, it's starting."

Both of them fell silent and watched the curtain rise. The play began and both teens sat there watching it and enjoying it thoroughly. At some point, Evie had looped her arm with Doug's and had her head resting on his shoulder. Their hands had also at some point found themselves attached. During the fight scenes, Evie squeezed Doug's hand as she hoped for the best and when there was a character death, Evie buried her head in Doug's shoulder, finding incredibly sad.

At the end of the play, Doug and Evie clapped loudly along with the rest of the audience.

"So, what did you think?" Doug asked as they left the theatre.

"It was beautiful. So well done and really, really interesting. I mean, star-crossed lovers. What could be a better story?"

"Actually," Doug replied, as-a-matter-of-factly, "Romeo and Juliet was written to show Elizabethan children what would happen if they disobeyed their parents. They'd end up dead."

"Really?" Evie asked, intrigued.

"Yes. That's how it would have been seen in the Elizabethan era." Doug explained.

"Wow." Evie replied. "But still, the idea of star-crossed lovers is a really cool one. Families who hate each other but despite that, two of the family members fall in love and go against their parents wishes to be together. It's cute and romantic and…us."

Doug looked at her confused. "Us? What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Doug." Evie said, stopping and turning to him. "Your dad is Dopey, one of Snow White's sidekicks. My mother is the Evil Queen, Snow White's enemy. Our families hate each other but we went against that hate and now we're together."

Doug looked at her for a few seconds before realising what she was saying. "Yeah, you're right." He chuckled, "Would you look at that, we are Romeo and Juliet."

Evie froze, a panicked look on her face. She was seemingly struggling to breathe so Doug took her hand gently.

"Eve? Eve, you okay? Evie?"

Evie took a shaky breath and looked him in the eye. "Am I going to lose you?" She whispered. "Are we going to die apart because our families would never approve?"

"No." Doug replied, grabbing her other hand. "My family may hate your mother but they definitely approve of you."

"But my mum..." Evie took another shaky breath. "She would disapprove and she tried to kill Snow White because she was prettier than her. What would she do to me if I didn't find a prince?"

Doug put his hands on Evie's shoulders. "Evie. That would never happen. Your mum is on the Isle, you're safe from her. Okay?"

Evie began to tremble slightly. "But what if she finds a way out? What if-"

"Evie, stop." Doug's tone was firm yet comforting. "She's not getting out. You're safe. Okay?"

Evie nodded and flung her arms around him. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "I'm just scared. I don't want to lose you."

Doug rubbed her back, soothingly. "And you won't. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Evie buried her head further into his shoulder before taking a deep breath and releasing him. "I'm sorry. This isn't like me." she said finally, opening her clasp and pulling out a tissue, dabbing lightly at her eyes which were slightly damp. "I'm okay now. Let's go."

Evie looped her arm in Doug's and together they walked back to Auradon Prep, feeling more sure about their future than they ever have before.

 **Again, another short one. I'm sorry.**

 **Thank you DragonEmperor999 for the prompt.**

 **Also, sorry the last chapter was such a mess. I ended up having to type it up on my phone because it was not uploading onto the website via my computer.**

 **Another thing, poll is still open so if you haven't voted on that, please do. It's just a poll about whether or not I should publish Grace's and mine OCs a story of their own. Simple yes or no and don't be afraid to say no if you don't think it should happen. I can't see who voted what anyway, so you're pretty safe. Lol**

 **I will no longer be accepting requests for the New Year oneshot as that has been written now. But thank you to those who did request things, I tried to add all of them.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks bud. And don't worry, the New Year oneshot will come on 1st January.**

 **Grace: I'm not surprised you love Lia, her name was your idea XD**

 **Owllover34: What I gathered from your review is you're a massive Jonnie shipper? Lol. That's awesome. And don't worry. There is more Jonnie to come. I think the majority of the Jonnie to come is your prompts, but it's coming all the same.**

 **Kate cheese: You're welcome and thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Elie201: You can keep on saying it. Lol. But thank you so, so much. It means a lot to me that you think I'm talented.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Thank you and my heart felt her pain too. I nearly cried while writing it. I am so glad you love my stories so much though. Knowing that is what gives me the motivation to keep going.**

 **rose1041: Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it. Also, thanks for pointing out the spelling error. Now onto your request. First things first, I have closed the requests so I will not be taking any more requests from anyone until further notice and second thing, what you're asking me to do would have to be a multi chapter story. It can't be done in a one-shot. So because of both those reasons, I am going to have to say no to your request.**

 **Reade: Yay! I like smiles! :D**

 **Love you guys sooooo much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	28. New Year Special

Midnight was nearing closer and all of Auradon were inside with their friends and family, celebrating the coming of the new year.

The VKs, who normally stayed at Home Away from Home (or, as it's more commonly referred to, 'The Home') for the holidays were with their classmates at the party held by Auradon Prep every year. All students would gather together in the gym waiting for the clock to chime twelve, while their parents were all at their own parties. There was music and dancing and everyone having a good time.

It was the VKs first New Year and they were all excited to finally experience one. Mal was chatting away with Grace, Annie and Aziz when Ben came up behind her, handing her a drink.

"Thanks." She murmured, taking it from him.

"So, what we talking about?" Ben asked, slipping his arm around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her slightly closer.

"Weird food combinations." Grace replied, taking a sip of her own drink.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

"We ate a lot of weird stuff when we came here. We didn't know what was good and what wasn't because on the Isle, everything was bad." Grace explained.

"What sort of weird food combinations are we talking about here?"

"Let's not go into that again." Aziz said suddenly. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around why you would eat a pickle and a strawberry at the same time."

"It's called experimenting, Azzie. You should try it some time." Grace shot back.

Aziz looked at her annoyed. "Stop calling me Azzie."

Grace stared at him in mock consideration before shaking her head. "Nah. Azzie suits you."

Mal, Ben and Annie laughed while Annie patted Aziz's arm sympathetically.

"Fifteen minutes until midnight." Ben noted, checking his watch.

"I can't believe another year has gone by." Annie said, "I mean, this time last year, Dad was still king and the VKs were still on the Isle. So much has changed."

The others nodded in agreement. Ben wrapped his arm around Mal's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, protectively. She looked up at him and smiled, placing her hand gently on his one that was on her shoulder, and leaned her head into him a bit while they continued to chat with the group.

Carlos twirled Jane and pulled her close to him once he had a hold of her waist again. Jane smiled, her hand on his shoulder and the other clasped in his. They waltzed slowly around the gym with the other dancing couples, not saying anything for a long time, just staring at each other and enjoying each other's company.

"You've been pretty quiet all night." Carlos observed, eventually breaking the silence. "Are you okay?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah. I'm just happy."

Carlos raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he said, "Any particular reason?"

Jane looked up at him, smiling, shaking her head. "You know we've only been dating for three months?" She said quite suddenly.

Carlos grinned at her. "And they've been the best three months of my life."

"Mine too." Jane replied. "But doesn't it feel like we've been dating for longer? I mean, a lot has happened in these past three months."

Carlos nodded in agreement. "I guess so. But it's Auradon. I'd like to see it not be hectic. Who knew being good could be just as crazy as being bad. But crazy in a good way and not as in, you know, my mum."

Jane laughed. "Yeah. It is quite crazy."

As the song came to an end, Carlos slowed them to a stop. "Do you want to get a drink?" He asked as another song began to play. Jane nodded and held his hand as he led her over to the drink table.

He handed her a drink and silently drank his, watching her watch the dancers on the dance floor.

"Are you okay, Jane?" He asked, putting his cup down and taking her hand comfortingly.

Jane nodded. "Yeah. Just...so much has changed in this past year." She said, glancing down at their joint hands. "And I guess I've only just come to terms with how much it's changed."

Carlos brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "What do you mean?"

Jane looked up at him, smiling tightly. "This time last year I was friendless Plain Jane who was always serving drinks at parties even when there was no need. I wasn't pretty. I wasn't confident. I wasn't anything more than Fairy Goddaughter."

Carlos squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Jane, you are so much more than any of that. And you've always been pretty. Anybody who says otherwise is blind."

Jane shrugged. "I'm not that pretty, Carlos."

"Yes you are." Carlos looked her in the eye, holding eye contact while he told her honestly, "You really are."

Jane blushed slightly and looked away. "Either way, things have changed for me around here. Changed for everyone."

"Change is a part of life." Carlos replied, nodding. "I was afraid of dogs at the beginning of the year but now-"

"Now, you're practically in love with the campus mutt and you bought your girlfriend a dog just because." Jane joked, looking back at him.

"Just because I love you." Carlos replied, easily. "And I'm not in love with Dude."

Jane raised her eyebrow at him. "Uh-huh." She giggled when he gave her a look.

"But seriously though. You shouldn't focus on the past. It's as your mother always says: 'Don't focus on the past-'"

"'Or you'll miss the future.'" Jane finished. "I know." She sighed. "I'm just can't help but wonder if I hadn't grown my hair out or if I hadn't joined the cheer squad, would people still have been friends with me?"

Carlos thought about it for a second before answering. "I think the reason people suddenly became friends with you after you grew your hair out and after you joined the cheer squad was because doing those things gave you confidence to make friends. If you had the same confidence when you had short hair or when you weren't on the squad, then I think you'd have found that people would have been friends with you as well."

Jane looked at him with her eyebrow raised. "When did you get so wise?"

Carlos laughed. "I've pretty much always been wise. Just never had the confidence to show it." He replied, winking.

Jane rolled her eyes and giggled, pushing him playfully. Carlos chuckled and held out a hand to her.

"Want to dance?" he asked. Jane put down her drink and took his hand.

"I'd love to."

Evie stood gossiping with a few of the other girls, all of them excited to see each other. Doug smiled at his girlfriend from a distance for a few minutes before excusing himself from a conversation with one of his band mates and heading over to her.

"No way." Evie was saying as Doug approached.

"I know, right?" One of the girls replied. "He seriously thought-oh hey Doug!- that I would go out with him after he was exposed."

Evie turned to Doug when the other girl greeted him. "Hey." She said with a smile. Doug smiled back awkwardly.

"Hey. Do you want to..." He gestured over to the dance floor.

Evie smiled at him but shook her head. "I'm kind of tired. Sorry. Maybe later?"

Doug nodded, looking slightly dejected. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. Later."

Concerned, Evie took his hand. "Are you okay, Doug?"

Doug nodded again. "Of course. I'll see you later for that dance?" he said, smiling slightly.

Evie smiled back. "You don't have to go, you know. Stay if you want to."

"Around gossiping girls?" Doug asked, a joking tone in his voice. "I'd rather keep all my brain cells, thank you."

Playfully, Evie slapped his shoulder. "Don't be rude." She said, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. "They're my friends."

"I know." Doug said, smiling. "But I'll come see you later. I want to be with you during the countdown."

Evie gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"You'll see." He pecked her on the cheek before heading off to go talk to a few of his friends. Evie stared after him confused, but shook her head and returned to the conversation with her friends.

Jay and the tourney team were all standing around the snack table, goofing off. At this moment of time they had poured a massive glass of orange juice and given it to one of the team mates.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" They were chanting as the team mate chugged down the orange juice, Jay holding a stopwatch.

"Done!" The guy slammed the cup down. "How did I do?"

"6.7 seconds. I still remain undefeated!" Jay called out. "Whoo!"

"Oh really?" A feminine voice said from behind them. Jay turned to see his girlfriend standing behind him.

"Well, I'd like to see you try and beat 5.1 seconds." Jay challenged.

"I'll do it 5 flat." She said. The whole team ohhhed.

Lonnie grabbed the cup and filled it up to the top. She brought it to her lips, raising an eyebrow in challenge. Jay shrugged and counted down from 3. "3..2..1..GO!" Lonnie threw her head back and chugged the drink down, lightning fast. She slammed the cup down on the table when she was done.

Jay checked the stopwatch, his eyebrow raised. "5.05." He announced.

Lonnie pumped her fist in the air. "And that, my friends, is how you chug." With that, she left the boys alone, high-fiving her brother who had watched the whole thing. Jay watched her walk away, amusement (and maybe a bit of pride) all over his face.

"Good catch, Jay." One of the boys said.

Jay rolled his eyes and lifted up his stopwatch. "Anyone going to try and beat my girl?"

Ben walked up onto stage. "Can I have everyone's attention please? We have 30 seconds until midnight. The screen will begin counting down once we have ten seconds left. So, everybody ready? Here we go!"

The screen behind him lit up and began counting down. Ben rushed down, to get to Mal before the countdown ended.

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!" Everybody counted down together. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"  
When they reached one Ben made it to Mal at as soon as everyone yelled Happy New Year, he slammed his lips into hers.

Mal pulled back her eyebrow raised. "What was that for?"

"First kiss of the year. It's good luck." Ben replied.

Doug had found Evie at 5 and stood with her. As soon as the countdown had ended, he gently took her face in his hands and kissed softly and briefly before pulling back with a smile.

"Happy New Year, Evie." he said.

"Happy New Year, Doug." She replied before she was ripped away from him to be hugged by all her friends.

Jane and Carlos had their arms around each other as they counted down and as everyone around them yelled Happy New Year, they had leaned in and kissed each other sweetly before cheering with everyone else.

Lonnie had returned to Jay once the countdown had begun, and had her arm on his shoulder, waiting for the end of the countdown. As soon as the countdown had finished, Lonnie turned to Jay. "Did anyone tell you it's good luck to kiss your girlfriend as soon as the New Year begins?" She asked, innocently.

Jay shook his head but raised an eyebrow. "Well, I wouldn't mind some good luck." He replied, leaning down to kiss her. Apparently though, Li'l Shang was having none of it.

"Happy New Year!" He yelled, pushing them apart by throwing his arm around both of them.

"Shang!" Lonnie yelled annoyed, pulling him off her. "You're so annoying."

"That's what brothers do best." Li'l Shang replied. Lonnie shoved him away and put her arms around Jay's neck.

"Ignore him. Now, where were we?"

Jay grinned and swiftly kissed before he was pulled away by the Tourney Team. Lonnie laughed as they were in a massive huddle, cheering. She smiled as she was dragged off by all her friends.

"FIREWORKS!" someone cried out. Everyone rushed outside to see that the fireworks had indeed been set off. Pretty colours of blue, red, yellow, green, and orange filled the sky, with loud bangs and whistles. Everyone marvelled at it as the brightness lighted up the sky.

Once the fireworks were done, everyone cheered. Ben looked around as everyone began to leave the gym to go home and get some sleep. He smiled at the happy faces he saw everywhere.

This was the start of a good year.

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yeah, I hope she does too. And I know, it's just Owllover34 mentions Jonnie in pretty much every review so I was just trying to be funny.**

 **Grace: Awwww, thank you my perfect Auradonian ;) *receives love happily.***

 **LOVE YOU GUYS! HAPPY 2018!  
SparkyGurl**


	29. Ill (Jonnie)

Morning broke in Auradon and the sun came shining through the blue curtains in the boys room. Carlos blinked as the rays hit his eye and sat up. He smiled at his sleeping dog, petting his head gently, before looking over to his roommate, who was laying in bed, pain all over his face.

"You okay, man?" Carlos asked, concerned for his brother.

Jay groaned. "I have a pounding headache and I feel nauseous."

"I'll tell Fairy Godmother and Lonnie that you're sick." Carlos said, getting out of bed.

Jay suddenly sat up, although he looked as though he was going to be sick because he did that. "No, man, I'll be fine." He swung his legs off the bed and staggered as he got up. Carlos surged forward and caught him before he collapsed.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Jay said, pushing Carlos off him. He stumbled to his closet and pulled out his gym bag, throwing it over his shoulder.

"You're not fine. Seriously, go back to bed. I can tell them you're sick." Carlos said, disbelieving as Jay gathered a few clothes to throw on, having to stop to take a few breaths every five seconds.

"Dude, leave me alone. I'm fine." Jay said as he tugged on his trousers, before grabbing his shirt and leather jacket and putting those on too. He fumbled with his beanie before managing to pull it on.

Carlos shrugged his vest on and rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm going to go to the amphitheatre now. You coming?"

"Give me a sec." Jay said, closing his eyes and holding a hand to his head.

Carlos nodded. "I'll head out now, but if you're not feeling up to it, text me and I'll let Fairy Godmother and Lonnie know."

"I'm fine!" Jay exclaimed, opening his eyes and glaring at Carlos who just put his hands up in defence and walked out.

Suddenly, Jay felt nausea rise up to his throat and only just made it to the toilet before he threw up. Taking deep breaths, he got up shakily and wiped his face. He flushed the toilet and grabbed his gym bag before heading out to the amphitheatre.

Jay just made it to the amphitheatre in time, nearly collapsing along the way. He was the only one left getting changed in the changing rooms by the time he managed to pull his kit on. Carlos gave him an exasperated look when he walked out.

"Okay, now that we finally have everyone," Lonnie said as soon as she saw Jay walk in, "Warm ups. Cardio first, let's go!"

Everyone groaned as they began running around the amphitheatre. Lonnie stopped Jay before he could follow.

"Are you okay, babe? You're never late and you don't look that great either."

Jay managed a shaky nod before stumbling off to go join the rest of the team in their laps, Lonnie looking at him concerned as she jogged ahead. He fell behind quite significantly and couldn't catch up. Half way through the first lap, he slowed down a lot and suddenly fell.

"Jay!" Several voices called out at once, Carlos and Lonnie being two of them. Lonnie ran over to him.

"Jay, wake up. Jay?" Lonnie shook him lightly. "Can you hear me? Come on, wake up."

"W-what happened?" Jay asked as he opened his eyes.

Lonnie let out a sigh of relief. "You fainted. Are you sure you're not ill?"

Jay nodded although that was a bad idea as he immediately turned over and threw up. Lonnie jumped back slightly.

"You're not okay. Come on, up you come." She grabbed his arm and pulled him up, slinging it over her shoulders. "Someone get this mess cleaned up and practice dismissed. Go on!"

The team grumbled and complained but Lonnie was already heaving Jay out.

"I'm fine." He breathed out. "I'm fine."

Lonnie scoffed. "And I'm bad at sword fighting. Let's get you to bed."

They got a few weird (and some concerned) looks as Lonnie half carried Jay out of the amphitheatre and to his dorm. She managed to open the door, with Jay leaning on her, and pulled him inside before laying him on his bed.

"Why didn't you just stay in bed. We care more about you being healthy than we do about you getting R.O.A.R practice." Lonnie asked as she lifted his legs onto the bed. Jay just groaned, his eyes shut tight in pain. Lonnie leaned over and felt his head.

"Aiyo, you are burning up." Lonnie exclaimed. She went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She dampened it with cool water and came back, placing the cloth on his head. "That should help break the fever." She said, reassuringly. She went back into the bathroom and found a plastic basin, which she filled with cool water. She placed this on the bedside table and pulled up a chair, sitting next to him.

"Are you in pain anywhere?" She asked as she dampened the cloth again before replacing it on his forehead.

"My head is killing me." He manage to croak out. Lonnie nodded and got up just as Carlos walked in, carrying both his and Jay's gym bag.

"Just on time." Lonnie said, sitting down again. "Could you do me a favour and go to the nurse? I need paracetamol and ibuprofen, asap. I want to watch him in case his fever gets worse."

Carlos nodded and threw the bags down before heading up.

"What's happening?" A voice cried out suddenly. Lonnie turned to see that Dude had just woken up.

"Jay is ill. Now, shush. He needs peace and quiet."

Dude dropped his head onto his paws again, looking dejected.

Carlos came in with two small boxes. "I have the medicine."

Lonnie thanked him and took the pills from him, opening the first box and pulling out the pills, popping two out of the aluminium foil casing. She did the same with the second box. She poured a glass of water and placed it with the pill on the bedside table. She helped Jay sit up and placed pillows behind him to make it more comfortable. Carlos took Dude out so that they were both out of Lonnie's hair, which Lonnie was thankful for. Once Jay was properly sat up and comfortable, Lonnie handed him the pills and the water, telling him to swallow them one at a time and swallow them whole. Jay complied, grimacing at their awful taste.

"I know. They're disgusting. But the ibuprofen should bring the fever down and the paracetamol should help with the headache."

"How long does it take to take effect?" He asked, lying down. Lonnie fixed his pillows before answering.

"Between half an hour and an hour." she said, sitting down on the chair again and placing the towel that was previously on Jay's head down on the bedside table. "Now, go to sleep. You'll feel much better."

Jay nodded, closing his eyes. He was soon asleep, and seemed very peaceful. Lonnie watched him, smiling as he slept. She played on her phone while she kept an eye on him, making sure he was okay.

About an hour and a half later, Jay's eyes opened slowly and he sat up, smiling at his girlfriend, who had just put her phone down.

"How you feeling?" She asked him, feeling his temperature, which had gone down significantly.

"Better." He mumbled, sleepily. "Thanks."

"Any time." Lonnie said, smiling as she pulled her hand away from his forehead. Jay caught her hand and planted a kiss on her fingertips. Blushing, Lonnie pulled her hand into her lap. Jay smirked at her and made to get up. Lonnie stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Oh no you don't." she said, pushing him back slightly. "You stay in bed. I don't want to risk it yet."

Jay groaned and sank back into his bed. Lonnie shook her head slightly at him.

"Want to watch a movie?" She asked, getting up. Jay nodded and agreed, so Lonnie selected a movie they both liked and she settled down next to him on the bed. Jay smiled and placed his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

Once the movie was over, Lonnie sat up and stretched a bit. She made to get up, but Jay pulled her back.

"Stay." he said, holding onto her waist, tight.

Lonnie laughed. "I'm just stretching my legs, Jay. I'm not going anywhere."

Jay let her go reluctantly. Lonnie quickly stretched her legs a bit before sitting down next to Jay again.

As she wrapped an arm around his waist, Jay turned his head to look at her. "Wait, why did you cancel practice just because of me? They need it more than I do."

Lonnie snorted. "Vain much? And how can I take care of you if I'm training a bunch of sweaty teenage guys in sword fighting?"

Jay chuckled. "Okay. But you didn't have to take care of me."

Lonnie raised her eyebrow at him. "You fainted in practice. Someone had to take care of you and somehow, I thought you might prefer me over Carlos."

Jay laughed. "I guess so. Carlos isn't nearly as nice to watch movies with."

Giggling, Lonnie laid her head on his shoulder. "Why didn't you just get Carlos to tell me you were sick."  
Jay sighed and shrug lightly. "On the Isle, weakness was not something you could show. If you were ill, you pushed through it and kept going or you hid somewhere so that no one could see you be weak if you were seriously ill. You don't have a choice. I rarely got sick so I was fine but weakness..." he hesitated.

"Is something you still struggle to show." Lonnie finished, lifting her head off his shoulder and grabbing his hand, comfortingly.

Jay looked down at their joint hands and began rubbing his rough thumb over her hand before nodding and looking up. "Yeah."

Lonnie smiled at him with a small, sad smile. "I get it Jay. But if you're ill, you need to rest and heal up. No one will judge you for that here. Everyone gets ill."

Nodding, Jay took a deep breath. "I'll try. I promise." He added, looking at her genuinely.

Lonnie smiled and squeezed his hand briefly before getting up again. "Want to watch another movie?"

Jay nodded and Lonnie put in another movie. And that's what they did all day. Talk, watch movies and make sure Jay was taking his medicine on time.

Jay was right as rain the next day and was able to attend the re-scheduled practice without fainting. Lonnie still kept an eye on him but he was fine, almost as though he was never sick in the first place. Jay claimed it was Lonnie's excellent nursing, making her blush and laugh.

Unfortunately, Lonnie ended up catching what Jay had and was ill the next day so he took the day off school and told Fairy Godmother that Lonnie was sick. He then nursed her back to health, staying with her all day. Not that either of them were complaining. Although, they both agreed without the smell of sick it would have been much nicer.

 **Here you go Guest (26/11/17). I hope I did it justice.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you!**

 **Grace: Love you too! xx**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Shh. Don't go telling everyone my secrets, lol. Jk. Thank you and a very Happy New Year to you too.**

 **Elie201: Awww, thank you!**

 **Kate cheese: Thank you! And you are very welcome.**

 **SusieBeast: You're welcome!**

 **Love you guys soooo much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	30. Preview for New Book (NOT A ONESHOT)

_**Chapter 1**_

The grey clouds were hanging low over the Isle as Grace Gothel put her bag in the back of the limo. She turned back to the old crumbling tower which she called home for the past fifteen years. She knew her mother and her sister were staring down at her, the look of disappointment all over their faces. For the first time in her life, Grace let a tear fall down her face and didn't try to hide it.

"I'm sorry Mother." She whispered, before clambering into the limo and sitting in the furthest corner away from the limo door. Grace wasn't the only one in the limo and was soon joined by the Gaston twins and Dizzy Tremaine as well as most of the Anti-Hero Club. It was amazing how many people King Ben had agreed to take in at once but Grace supposed he trusted Evie's judgement and probably had some people to keep an eye on them all, just in case.

The driver began to pull away from the crowd of people who watched it leave, many of the people being parents who looked betrayed that their own offspring would give up on evil in order to go to a different school.

The drive to Auradon was nerve racking. The children were shaking with excitement and fear. And if the kids of their parents enemies saw them as their parents, well, that meant they'd already made enemies before setting foot in Auradon.

~Meanwhile, in Auradon~

Annie waited anxiously inside the main building, away from the crowd. She agreed to be one of the tour guides for the new VKs, along with Jane. She heard the sound of the band playing and the crowd cheering and she knew that VKs had finally arrived. Nervously, she began to bite her lower lip, waiting for the new students to walk through the door so that she could show them around.

Through the window, Annie watched as Ben greeted the new VKs kindly and sweetly, while Mal kept him in check to make sure he didn't overdo it like he did when she arrived. Mal hugged a few of her old friends and told them that a couple of really lovely girls were going to show them around the school and to their dorms as well as help them with their school schedules.

Grace fiddled with her ring while Ben explained the history of the school. He finally led her inside to see two young girls waiting there for them. One had curly brown hair that was laying over one shoulder with a headband in her hair and was wearing an old fashioned baby blue dress. She had a kind smile and was holding a clipboard that contained maps and schedules by the looks of it. The other had light brown hair and was wearing a blue shirt and black skirt.

The girl with the clipboard introduced herself.

"Hey guys. I'm Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter. I'll be showing you around and helping you out with your schedules." She turned to the other girl and gestured gently for her to say something.

"Hi. I'm Annie. Ben is my younger brother. I'll be helping Jane as she shows you guys around today".

Grace looked at the older girl, Annie, with curiosity. Everyone began to follow Jane and began shooting a thousand questions at her, but Grace held back slightly, not very comfortable with lots of noise or people. Annie noticed Grace hanging back some from the others and decided to double back and make sure she was okay. Grace was twirling the ring on her hand when she noticed that someone was walking beside her. She looked up and saw Annie smiling at her genuinely.

 **Hey guys. Sorry this isn't a oneshot. This is a preview for the book about mine and Grace's OCs, Annie and Grace and their life in Auradon. Let me know what you think and if you want to see more. If you guys want more, we have a few chapters ready to go. Let us know.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	31. Organising Dates (Harry and Evie)

It was a lovely afternoon in Auradon and the students of Auradon Prep were all going about their day as usual. One student was smiling brightly as he headed towards his dorm before realising something and going into a complete panic. He took a few deep breaths before coming up with an idea and rushing to the girls dormitory.

Evie was sitting at her sewing machine when there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in." To say that she was shocked when Harry Hook walked in was an understatement.

"Harry." She said, turning off her sewing machine and standing up. "How can I help you?"

Harry nervously fiddled with his hook (he was told as long as he didn't hurt anyone, he was allowed to keep it). "I want to ask for your help. About a date."

Evie looked at him like he'd grown another head. She stared at him for a while in confusion.

Harry decided this meant she didn't want to help him because she still hated him for everything that happened. "Never mind. It was a bad idea to ask you."

"Harry, wait. Why me?" Evie asked before he could move to leave.

"Well, I suppose I was hoping that we still had something left from our old friendship and you are very good at knowing what people like and what make them uniquely them."

Evie sighed. "First things first, Harry. There is nothing left of our old friendship. That stopped when we were thirteen."

Harry looked askance and nodded. "I understand. I'll leave you now." He turned to leave.

"But," Evie said, quickly, "we have a new friendship now. So sit down and tell me everything."

Harry obeyed and sat down. Evie sat down across from him and gestured for him to begin.

"Well...there is this girl that I really really lo-" he cut himself off. "Like. Who I really like. And I asked her out on a date and she said yes. But now, I have no idea how to organise a date or what to do."

Evie thought about it for a minute. "Well, most girls like a fancy restaurant and stuff like that but Uma isn't that kind of girl..."

"Uma?" Harry asked, chuckling nervously, "Who said anything about Uma?"

Evie raised an eyebrow. "You know it's not a secret that you two date, right?"

Harry blushed as he muttered something about it should be a secret.

Evie rolled her eyes. "Please, nothing stays a secret for very long in Auradon Prep. Anyway, Uma won't want anything fancy. Do something simple that you'd both enjoy."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Like what, exactly? I haven't been Auradon all that long."

"I know. Just give me a second to think about it. Let's see, what do both you and Uma enjoy doing?"

"Hurting people? Being together?" Harry suggested.

"Well, hurting people isn't exactly condoned here in Auradon." Evie said.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know. Just a suggestion."

"Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you went paint-balling?"

"What?" Harry stared at Evie confused. "What the bloody hell is that?"

"Paint-balling? Well, you go to this arena thing and you're given guns full of balls of paint. You then try to shoot the other team with them and apparently they really hurt when they hit you."  
Harry leaned forward, suddenly very interested. "Really? Well, that does sound Uma's speed."

"And after that, you could take her out for a burger or real fish and chips rather than the gunk they sell at Ursula's Fish and Chips shop." Evie added.

Harry nodded. "Okay. Do you think she'll enjoy herself?"

"She gets to hurt people without being labelled bad and she gets to spend time with you. I think she'll enjoy herself."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Evie."

Evie nodded back and smiled. "Hey, anything for a friend."

This made Harry grin and he stood up and bowed his way out of the room, making Evie burst into fits of laughter.

Later that week, Harry barged into her room while she and Doug were going over some finances, and swooped her up in his arms in a massive bear hug, yelling thank you repeatedly. Evie let out a little shriek of laughter while Doug looked almost murderous. He put her down, smiling brightly.

"Okay, that was weird." Evie laughed, putting her hand reassuringly on Doug's shoulder.

"Sorry. But thank you! She loved it. You're an evil genius, Evie."

Doug stood up. "Excuse me? Evie is not evil."

Evie put a hand on Doug's chest. "Doug, it's fine. That's a compliment on the Isle." she turned to Harry. "We just say 'you're a genius' in Auradon. No evil."

Harry nodded. "Right. Sorry."

Evie shrugged. "I knew what you meant. But she enjoyed the date?"

"Well she punched me when she found out what paint-balling was. So I'm guessing she loved it."

"Where, arm or face?"

"Chest."

"Wow, she _really_ loved it. Well, there you go. She likes paint-balling."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Thank you so much!" He left with a wave, smiling brighter than anyone would ever have thought possible.

"What was that about?" Doug asked, looking at Evie.

"I basically organised a perfect date for him and Uma." She said smiling down at him. "Now, what were you saying about the fabric costs?"

 **Here you go Guest (28/11/17). I will admit this, good Harry is difficult to write.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: What can I say? I'm just amazing! Lol, jk.**

 **DragonEmperor999: I have 14 more to go. So we'll see.**

 **Eli201: I agree. It's tragic what they went through. Lovely name. I like it. And just in time as well because yours is next. Good timing.**

 **Owllover34: I swear, you are a Jonnie bloodhound. If there is Jonnie, there you are. Lol. And awww, thank you!**

 **FlatFox: I'm glad you did!**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Yay! I like smiles! :D I'm so glad you love my stories!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	32. Out of Control (Bal)

It was a pleasant afternoon in Auradon and the King and Queen were finally done for the day and were ready to retire to their bedrooms. The moment they arrived home, however, two sets of pattering feet came towards them, waking them out of their sleep stupor.

"Mummy! Daddy!" A little voice cried out.

"ROAR!" Another one said, jumping on her father. Ben laughed as he caught six-year-old Lia in his arms.

"How's my little bear?" He asked, nuzzling her nose. Lia giggled and wrapped her arms around her dad's neck.

"Mummy, look what I did today!" Four-year old Maesi said, holding up a piece of paper with a childish drawing of their family. There was a little castle in the background with four little stick figures in front, two had purple hair, one small one and a big one, to represent Mal and Maesi, two had brown hair to represent Lia and Ben.

"It's beautiful." Mal said, kissing the top of her daughters head. "Well done. I'll keep this nice and safe." Mal opened her bag and folded the picture carefully and put it in there.

Maesi beamed and hugged her mother's leg. Mal giggled a bit and picked Maesi up, cuddling her for a second before putting her down and telling her to go ahead to the play room. Ben, after a lot of effort, managed to put Lia down and get her to walk as well.

"She is such a daddy's girl." Mal laughed as both girls began racing towards the play room.

Ben grinned at her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head.

"Mummy! Daddy! Hurry up!" Little Maesi called out.

"We're coming, princess." Mal called back, walking up the grand stairs, towards the playroom. She and her husband walked hand in hand to their little girls, who were playing quite happily in the room together. They stood in the doorway, watching their daughters run around with dolls and stuffed animals and little cars.

"I think we did good with these two." Mal said, looking at Ben, a small, tired smile on her face.

Ben nodded in agreement. "Yep. We definitely did."

"Daddy, come play chase with me!" She said, grabbing her father's sleeve. "Please?"

Ben nodded and allowed himself to be dragged outside to go play.

Mal smiled fondly at their retreating forms before turning to her younger daughter, smile never leaving her face.

"What are you doing, princess?" she asked, sitting on the floor next to her daughter who was playing with her dolls.

Maesi looked up, and said, "Fairy Godmother is casting spells to protect Lydia and Jenny from the evil faerie!"

Mal smiled. "I see. Can Fairy Godmother do it?"

"Of course she can. Fairy Godmother can do anything because she has magic!"

Mal laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Okay. I'll come play in a sec. I just need to do something first, okay?"

Maesi nodded turning back to her game.

When Mal walked out and started heading towards her bedroom, she heard a terrible scream from the playroom. Mal whipped around and ran back in to the playroom. Things were flying everywhere and Maesi had her hands over her ears, tears streaming out of her ears. Mal heard and gasp and turned to see a servant standing there, looking frightened.

"Don't just stand there! Get King Ben here immediately!" Mal said, a frenzied look in her eye.

She looked at the toys flying about and thrust her hands in the air, trying to remember the spell to reverse what was happening. Ben came racing in, as fast as he could, Mal still unsuccessfully trying to reverse the spell. He looked into the room terrified. "What's happening?"

"Don't question it, just get her out of there!" Mal yelled at him, her eye glowing green. Ben immediately obeyed and rushed in, trying to duck from the toys that were flying about. He scooped Maesi into his arms and cradled her protectively as he rushed out.

"Enchantment of the uncontrolled child, seize and no longer be wild!" Mal cried out. The toys fell to the floor, the magic gone. Mal collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, as she had not used her magic in a long time and it tired her out.

Ben dropped beside her, still hugging a crying Maesi to his chest. Mal looked up at him and her little girl, her eyes filled with tears.

"It hurts, daddy." Maesi said, cuddling close to her dad. Ben looked at Mal, scared. Mal took a few more deep breaths before taking Maesi from him.

"I know, princess. I know." She said, cradling her close.

"Why is it hurting her Mal?" Ben asked, terrified. "You never said anything about magic hurting you."

"I was sixteen, Ben. I had more control." Mal said, closing her eyes, a few tears escaping. "I prayed this wouldn't happen." she added, placing a kiss on her daughter's head.

"Why is this happening to her? Why not Lia?" Ben asked, confused and scared.

"Maesi has a more dominant faerie gene. I hoped this wouldn't happen to either of them."

"You knew this was a possibility? Why didn't you tell me?" Ben said, sitting back slightly.

"Because I didn't realise that this would happen." She said, gesturing to the playroom. "And I didn't want it to be true. I didn't want either of our girls to have to deal with the responsibility of having magic."

"So you pretended it wouldn't happen?" Ben exclaimed, looking incredibly upset.

"Look, we can argue about this later. Right now, I have a crying daughter on my shoulder who needs both of her parents to help her through this rather than fight!"

Ben's face immediately softened and he reached out and stroked Maesi's lilac hair, gently. "What can we do?" He asked.

"Help her in any way we can. I'll have to teach her to control it. It's going to be so difficult on her but she needs to learn. And we'll need you for moral support. She needs something sturdy to lean on, metaphorically. Something mortal to keep her grounded. She needs you to always be there for her. No matter what. She'll start finding more comfort in you because you're a sense of normal and I need you to let her."

Ben nodded. "Of course. I would always let her."

Mal nodded back and pulled Maesi back a bit, wiping the tears off her face. "Hey, princess. I need to tell you something." Maesi sniffled and nodded. "It's going to sound really scary but I need you to trust me." Maesi nodded again. "You're a faerie. Like the evil faerie in your play time. But you're not an evil faerie. You're a good faerie like Fairy Godmother but without the wand."

Maesi looked at her confused. "So...I have magic?" She asked, looking at her chubby little hands, which looked sore.

Mal nodded. "Yes, princess you do. But it's okay. Mummy has magic too and I can teach you so it won't hurt anymore, okay?"

Maesi nodded and hugged her mummy again, before turning her head to her daddy. "Does daddy have magic too?"

Ben shook his head. "No. I'm not special in that way." Maesi let go of Mal and hugged Ben.

"You're special to me, Daddy." She said, hugging him tight. Ben held on to her, keeping her close to his chest.

"You're pretty special to me too, princess."

"Daddy! Mummy!" Another voice yelled. Mal and Ben looked over to see Lia running towards them, the servant who had gone to get Ben right behind her. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine, baby bear. We're fine." Mal said, hugging her daughter.

"I have magic!" Maesi proclaimed, getting off of Ben. "Which means I'm more special than you!"

"Hey, Maesi that's not nice" Mal jumped in before her older could retaliate. "Lia is just as special as you. Now say you're sorry."

"Sorry." Maesi said, looking down.

Mal sighed. "Now, go play. I'll come get you later to help you with the magic, okay?"

Maesi nodded and went inside the room to go play, Lia following her.

"Can you keep an eye on them?" She said, looking at Ben. "The magic left me exhausted."

Ben nodded, kissing her head. "I'm sorry I had a go at you."

Mal waved the apology off. "It's fine. I understand why you freaked. We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Ben nodded in conformation and gave her a swift kiss on the lips before heading inside to his daughters.

From then on out, Mal helped Maesi learn to keep her magic under control. It took a long time and a lot of patience but they managed it. Lia also turned out to have some special abilities of her own but that is for another story. What matters here, is that Maesi had her magic under control eventually and it never caused her any harm again.

 **Thank you Eli201 for the prompt and for the character of Maesi. Would you mind if I used her more often? I'd give you the credit every time, of course. Don't be afraid to say no, I understand if you don't want me too.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: AWWWWW Thank you!**

 **DragonEmperor999: I'm sure it was.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	33. Spontaneity (Janelos)

The rain poured down, drops pattering heavily against the windows of Auradon Prep. All the students stayed inside, no one wanting to go out in the wet and cold. Two students, however, were caught in the rain and were now running back. Carlos held open the door for Jane as she rushed into the warmth of the school. She rubbed her arms which were bare in her spaghetti strap, knee high sundress. Carlos shut the door and shook out his hair in a dog-like manner.

"I am so sorry, Jane. I should have checked the forecast." He said, looking up at his girlfriend.

Jane laughed. "It's okay, Carlos. Everyone make mistakes. Let's go back to your dorm. We can hang out there."

"Do you want to get changed first?" Carlos asked, "We can stop by your room."

Jane nodded. "Sure." She took Carlos's outstretched hand and they walked together towards Jane's dorm. Jane opened the door and let go of Carlos's hand. "Wait here. I'll be back in a second." Carlos nodded, smiling at her as she closed the door. He leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone, playing one of his games while he waited. He heard the door open and looked up, putting his phone away. Jane walked out, one of her normal, slightly old fashion dresses on with her hair lying loose over her shoulders. He smiled at her and held out his hand.

"Shall we?" He asked. Jane nodded and took his hand. They walked back to his dorm in comfortable silence. Jane had always thought that silences were awkward and that if two people were together, they should talk and that there should always be something to talk about, especially if they're dating. But with Carlos, it was something that was easy and freeing. They didn't need to talk, just being together was enough for them. Jane smiled at Carlos and entwined their fingers, causing Carlos to look at her and smile. Suddenly he turned and placed his free arm around her waist and manoeuvring their hands so that they were now raised up. Jane laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder while he waltzed her down the corridor. The corridor was empty and no one was around so they just waltzed, dancing to the music in their hearts. They were giggling like children by the time they reached Carlos's dorm. He let her go gently and opened the door, before bowing and gesturing her in. "After you, my lady."

Jane curtsied, "Why thank you, kind sir." They both laughed and walked in. As soon as they walked in, Jay perked up.

"Oh, jeez. It's the invasion of the cute couples. I'm out." and with that he got up and left.

"Well, that was weird." Jane laughed as the door closed behind Jay.

"Yeah…" Carlos said, "Still, he's right. We're adorable."

Jane giggled, before sitting herself down on Carlos's bed. "So, what now?"

"Well, I'm still soaking so I'm going to get changed, but make yourself at home. Mi casa es tu casa."

"Will do." Jane replied as he grabbed a fresh shirt and pair of shorts from his closet. She turned to the dog who was lying on the bed, sleeping. She reached over and stroked him. "Hey, Dude." She murmured, not wanting to wake him up. She did.

Dude looked up, his eyes opening slowly. "W-what?"

"Oh, sorry Dude. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Dude just grunted and went back to sleep. Carlos walked out of the bathroom, wearing a plain white shirt and red shorts and smiled at his girlfriend. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked.

Jane shrugged. "I dunno. How's that computer program you were working on going?"

Carlos began to explain how he needed to do a few things more things and then it would be ready. As he talked he noticed Jane smile and couldn't help but look at her lips quickly before looking away. That'd been happening a lot lately. It couldn't help be drawn to her lips and wonder what it'd be like to kiss her. He mentally shook the thoughts away, telling himself that he shouldn't be thinking like that because he didn't think Jane was ready for that. Or if he was for that matter.

The conversation began leading to other places and they just sat and chatted. A few times during the conversation, Carlos found his eyes looking down at her lips but he always quickly managed to move them back to her beautiful blue eyes which he could get lost in for hours.

After he and Jane started dating, he suddenly became very spontaneous around her, wanting to give her many an adventure. He has often randomly grabbed her hand when they were hanging with friends and dragged her away to go get ice cream or one time they were just talking and he decided to pick her up and give her a piggyback ride down the courtyard. She didn't mind. It kept her on her toes and made her laugh. But for some reason, there two things in which Carlos was not very spontaneous with. One was asking Jane out. That took way too long and too many failed attempts before he managed to actually ask her to be his girlfriend. The second was apparently kissing her. Hugging, giving piggyback rides and dancing, he had no problem doing spontaneously but kissing her, he was almost shaking with nerves at the thought.

They were sitting in silence, their hands entwined and their hearts in sync. Jane was resting her head on his shoulder, comfortably watching the news that was always playing on the TV. Carlos took a deep breath and turned his head to Jane.

"Hey, Jane?"

"Yeah?" she responded, lifting her head to look at him.

"Can I..." he hesitated. She nodded to encourage him to go on. He took another deep breath. "I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I...kissed you?"

To say Jane was shocked would be an understatement. She blinked a few times before shyly smiling and nodding. "Okay." she said, in a small voice.

Carlos silently gulped and leaned in to her slowly, his lips touching hers briefly before pulling back a little, looking like a tomato.

Jane was also blushing an adorable shade of pink when Carlos pulled back. He smiled a little awkwardly, his face not to far from hers.

"That uh...that was my first kiss." He whispered, a bit embarrassed. Jane put her hand on his shoulder.

"Mine too." She whispered back. Carlos smiled and began to pull back bit more but Jane stopped him. "Can I kiss you again?" she asked.

Carlos grinned like a goof and nodded so Jane brought her lips up to his and kissed him for a few seconds.

Both of them were blushing hard when they pulled back but neither of them could keep the massive grins off their faces. Jane turned her head and laid it on Carlos's shoulder, entwining their fingers again as she looked back at the TV. Carlos continued to smile at her for a while before turning to the TV as well, resting their entwined hands on Jane's shoulder so they were closer together.

When Carlos walked Jane back to her dorm later, he gave her the first goodnight kiss of many to come. Jane smiled when he did this and couldn't help but sigh happily when she closed the door while Carlos's bright smile never left his face. Both of them went to bed very happy that night and both of them knew it was the best first kiss either of them could as for.

 **Guest (30/11/17), here you go! I hope you loved reading this as much as I loved writing it. (I didn't want to stop. Janelos is my OTP!)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999:I hope so too.**

 **Grace: If you want a story about Lia's abilities, you'll have to request in when the requests are open again. Lol, sorry.**

 **Eli201: Aww thank you! You're so sweet. If I need more details, I'll let you know. For now, I don't have anymore Bal children ones so I won't be needing her just yet.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde: She is so sweet. I loved writing her. And thank you!**

 **Kate cheese: I'm in love with them too! Thank you!**

 **SusieBeast: Awwww. It was very difficult to write without crying, so I feel you. Thank you for your constant support!**

 **Owllover34: I can't remember whether that was intentional or not but I have a feeling no… Well done for spotting it!**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **xx**


	34. Hanging Out (Jane and Jay)

The bell rang signalling the end of the school day and students began coming out of their classrooms, going to their lockers and various after school activities. Jane was just about to open her locker when someone crashed into her, all of the books falling out of her hand.

"Sorry Jane." Jay said, regaining his balance. He held out his hand to help her up and turned around, glaring at the guys behind him.

"Sorry Jane!" One of them cried out. "I didn't mean to shove him into you. I didn't realise he was that off-balance."

Jane waved off the apology and bent down to pick up her books. As his friends walked away, Jay squatted down and helped her pick them up. "Sorry again. Actually, while I'm here, can I talk to you about something?" He asked, handing her her books and standing up. Jane nodded and put her books in her locker neatly.

"It's about you and Carlos." Jane stopped in the middle of closing her locker and turned to him, panic in her eyes.

"Have I done something wrong? He doesn't want to break up with me, does he?"

Jay shook his head. "No, no. Don't worry. The guy is crazy about you. No, it's just this is the first time he's dated anyone and I'm worried that you might think he knows what he is doing and hold it against him if he does something out of the ordinary." Jay looked down at the floor. "I'm just saying don't expect him to know what he's doing. He's unsure when it comes to dating and girls."

Jane nodded. "I know. I'm aware of that don't worry. You know he is my first boyfriend too, right?"

Jay looked at her confused. "Really? Oh. That never crossed my mind. Sorry."

Jane shrugged. "That's okay. It's nice to see you concerned for your brother." Her phone began ringing. "Sorry, I got to take this." she said, looking at it. "Catch you later!" And with that she walked off, talking rapidly to the person on the other side of the phone.

Later that week, Jane walked into the boys dorm. "Hey Carlos, are you ready to go?"

Carlos looked up at her confused before he realised. "Our date! Dalmations! I forgot, Jane. I am so sorry. And I have so much homework to do before tomorrow, I don't think I can. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Jane looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Fine. You can pay me back by coming to my room with a tub of ice cream and we are watching a chick-flick."

Carlos nodded. "Deal. I won't bail, I promise."

"I trust you. Hey, Jay?" She said, turning to the other boy who was just laughing silently at his friend. He looked up.

"Yeah?"

"Want to go to the movies with me? I have an extra ticket now."

Jay looked unsure at Carlos who just shrugged and said, "Go ahead. I can't go. Someone should."

Jay looked back at Jane. "What movie?"

"Warriors of the Enchanted Forest III." Jane replied. "Carlos has been dying to see the third ever since we showed him the first two."

Carlos looked annoyed. "I know, I know. But you don't want me to turn in my homework late, do you?"

Jane laughed. "Of course not. So, Jay? What do you say?"

Jay nodded and got up. "Yeah. I do like Warriors of the Enchanted Forest."

Jane went over to her boyfriend and quickly pecked him on the lips. "See you later, okay?"

Carlos nodded. "Hey, no spoilers!" He yelled after his brother and girlfriend as they left to go watch a movie together.

Jay and Jane sat in the cinema, a massive bucket of popcorn between them. Jay hogged the whole thing, asking "So, this is mine. What are you having?" Jane replied with a smack in the arm and took the popcorn bucket from him, helping herself to a handful. They had eaten half of it by the time the movie actually began.

"Damn advertisements." Jay muttered. Jane stifled a giggle and nodded in agreement. They watched the movie happily, munching on what was left of the popcorn. When the credits started rolling, Jay got up and stretched. "That was a good movie."

Jane nodded. "Yep. Hey, you know we can hold this against Carlos right?" She said as she stood up, dusting the popcorn crumbs off her skirt.

Jay looked at her a second before nodding. "I like the way you think, Fairy Goddaughter. I like the way you think."

"Fairy Goddaughter? Really?" Jane asked as they walked out of the screening room together.

"Yep. You're stuck with it now."

Jane rolled her eyes and chucked the bucket in the bin. They walked back to the school, just talking about this and that. They found out they had a lot more in common than they thought, especially movie wise. They talked the whole way back about movies and weaknesses in plot points or the characters, comparing them to other movies they had seen and comparing them to the previous films of that franchise.

"No way. The sequel was way better than the original." Jay was saying as they walked into the dorm.

"Hardly! The plot line was underdeveloped and two thirds of the movie was things blowing up!"

"Exactly." Jay replied.

"What are you two fighting about?" asked Carlos, turning around in his chair.

"Your girlfriend here didn't like Quadruple Impact 2."

Carlos laughed. "I'm with her on this one. While the graphics were amazing, there was no plot line and it wasn't all that interesting."

"I give up with you two." Jay said, laying down on his bed. Jane rolled her eyes and went over to her boyfriend.

"Get much homework done?" She asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Most of it. Sorry I bailed. I promise, a whole tub of ice cream and as many chick-flicks as you want tomorrow."

Jane smiled. "Sounds good." She pecked his cheek. "I still love you anyway."

Carlos grinned. "Good. I love you too."

"Okay! Please, leave the gooiness for the chick-flicks." Jay exclaimed, sitting up.

Jane and Carlos laughed. "I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow." Jane said before turning to Jay. "Thanks for joining me, Jay. And remember, we have power over him now. If he doesn't behave, we are loaded with spoilers."

Carlos groaned. "Jay, what did you to my girlfriend?"

"This was all her, actually." Jay replied. "And no problem Jane. See ya!"

Jane waved at the boys as she departed, smiling happily.

"You're girlfriend is awesome." Jay said turning to Carlos.

"I know. One of the many reasons why I'm dating her."

"I mean, she's nowhere near as cool as mine, but still. Awesome." Jay added.

Carlos let out a laugh. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

Jay got up and put Carlos in a headlock. "Are you saying that Jane is cooler than Lonnie?"

"Yep." Carlos replied, trying to push Jay off him. "Let go."

"No way." Jay said, giving him a noogie. They ended up play wrestling on the floor and Jay, of course, came out the victor.

They laughed as Jay got off Carlos and helped him up. Carlos went back to his computer and mumbled so that Jay couldn't hear him, "Jane is still cooler."

Jane and Jay ended up hanging out together, forming inside jokes (damn advertisements became the first of many) and always ganging up on Carlos about spoilers to films he hadn't seen. They became very close. So close, that Jay had started referring to her as his sister, or to embarrass Jane and Carlos, his soon-to-be sister-in-law. No one would ever have thought that shy little fairy goddaughter and tough, rough-and-tumbled, hot-headed son of Jafar could ever be close friends but there you have it. There is obviously more to them than meets the eye.

 **Thank you Guest (30/11/17). I added what you asked for and then some. I hope you don't mind that I didn't only focus on Jay and Jane but also did a bit of Jay and Carlos because I felt it was important to have some brotherly time in there.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I agree. They so do. And thank you.**

 **Grace: Is this soon enough? Lol. And yes Janelos is the cutest thing, ever!**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Awww. Thank you! Janelos are so precious, aren't they? They're my OTP!**

 **SusieBeast: * le gasp * How did you find out? I thought I was being more subtle than that. Hmm, I'll have to rethink my evil plan now. Muhahaha! But seriously though, thank you so much for your constant support on my works. It means the world to me.**

 **I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	35. Anniversary (Devie)

As the students of Auradon Prep all filed out of their classrooms and headed to the cafeteria for lunch, Doug began searching for his girlfriend, who was further down the lunch line behind him. He moved and headed over to her, letting everyone else cut in front of him.

"Hey." He said, once he reached her.

Evie smiled at him. "Hey."

"So..." Doug began, standing next to her as the line slowly moved forward. "Our anniversary is coming up soon and I was wondering if there is anything specific you'd like to do?"

Evie thought about it for a second before looking at him with a grin. "Surprise me. I've never had an anniversary before. Maybe we can do what normal couples do?"

"So a fancy dinner and exchanging gifts?" Doug concluded.

Evie nodded. "Sounds good to me. I just need to think of a gift for you."

"Well, is there anything you'd like me to get you?" Doug asked, as he had no idea what he was supposed to get the girl who has everything.

Evie raised her eyebrow at him. "Aren't anniversary gifts meant to come from the heart? So, you need to work this out on your own. And don't worry. I'm sure I'll love whatever you get me."

Doug nodded, slightly unsure. "Okay."

Evie looked around, slowly getting impatient. "What is taking the line so long?"  
Doug groaned. "Sleepy Jr must have fallen asleep again standing up again. I got this, hold on. Save my place."

Evie laughed as Doug went to wake up his cousin. She loved that boy, as dopey as he could be sometimes.

Finally, they managed to sit down to their lunch, their friends all sitting with them. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company for a while until the bell went, signalling classes beginning again. Evie dropped a kiss on Doug's cheek before hurrying off to Magical History. Doug smiled as he watched her go before heading off in the opposite direction for Advanced Mathematics.

After school Doug quickly headed over to Evie's dorm and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Someone said. Doug walked in to see Mal lying on her bed doodling while Dizzy sat at a desk with a glue gun and some pieces of jewellery in her hand. "Oh, hey Doug. Evie has extra classes today, I thought you knew that."

"I do." Doug replied. "It was you two I needed to talk to actually."

Mal and Dizzy exchanged looks, before turning to Doug, one eyebrow raised on both faces.

"I need help with Evie's anniversary gift."

Mal groaned while Dizzy clapped excitedly. "What are you planning? Do you want me to make her jewellery? I know the best thing to make her! She loves jewellery. Or maybe you want to do something else? Are you going to take her out for dinner? Are-"

"Dizzy, breathe!" Mal exclaimed, laughing at the excitable eleven year-old.

"Actually, jewellery is a good idea. Evie does love-"

"No." Mal cut him off. "Jewellery? Really? I mean, come on. She has loads."

"I know." Doug replied. "But she loves it. Maybe I can get her something she doesn't already have."

Mal shook her head again. "Okay, what part of 'from your heart' didn't you understand?"

Doug gave her a confused look.

"I was behind you in the queue." Mal said, answering his unspoken question. "Besides, your thinking with your head. It's meant to be from your heart. Don't think. Feel."

"I feel like I should get her jewellery?" Doug said, looking at Mal questioningly.

Mal closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "Fine. If you say so." and with that she returned to her drawing.

Doug stood there for a few seconds before heading over to Dizzy's desk to see what he could. After about a minute he stood up straight and looked at Mal.

"Okay, so this doesn't feel right. What do I do now?"

Mal looked up with a smirk. "Well, at least you know how to feel. Diz? Any ideas?"

Dizzy looked thoughtful. "I don't know. You could get her a new purse or something."

Doug shook his head. "If it was her birthday or Christmas, that'd be a good idea. But the anniversary is different. It's needs to be something incredibly special. Especially seeing as it's the first."

"Oh, good. The dwarf has some sense." Mal said getting up from the bed. "Look, what do you think will make Evie happy?"

"I don't know." Doug said truthfully. "What do you get the girl who has everything?"

Mal looked thoughtful. "Something that has sentimental value." She decided.

"Like?" Doug prompted, almost desperate.

"I don't know. Something that's important to you maybe?" Mal suggested, shrugging.

Doug sighed. "Why is this so hard? What did Ben do for your anniversary, Mal?"

Mal raised her eyebrows ever so slightly. "He took the day off and spent it with me. But how is that supposed to help you?"

"I could do that." Doug said, looking like he was lost in his own world.

"But, that wouldn't mean that much to Evie." Dizzy piped up. "Not like it does Mal."

Mal nodded in agreement. "Dizzy's right. Time off is easier for you and Evie to come by than me and Ben so him taking time off for me will mean a lot more than you taking time off, considering your job is as an accountant. For Evie."

Doug groaned. "This is too hard."

"Make something." Dizzy said, finally.

"Make something?" Doug questioned.

"Make something."

"Like?"

"It doesn't matter." Dizzy replied. "As long as you did it with your own two hands. Putting hard work into something can show love."

"I have a week. What can I make in that time?" Doug asked.

"Aren't you the kid of a miner. Surely they would have taught you how to work with gems."

"But Mal just said, no jewellery."

Mal sighed. "Who said anything about jewellery? Gems can be used on other things. I think you can come up with something. You're a smart kid."

Doug sat down, thinking hard. "I have no idea."

"Well, can you go have no idea somewhere else? I think we've done all we can to help." Mal said, sitting back on her bed and picking up her pencil.

Dizzy picked up her glue gun and got back to work, humming in agreement. Doug gave them both an annoyed look before getting up, nodding.

"Thanks." He said as he left the room.

Doug sat for ages, thinking hard about what he could do before it struck him. He pulled out his box of gems which he'd been collecting from all the care packages and the one pick axe he kept. He headed out to town to buy a few more supplies and spent the rest of the week, hauled up in his room, working hard on his project.

Finally the day arrived and Doug picked up his carefully wrapped present and a bouquet of flowers before heading out to his girlfriend's dorm.

Evie answered the door with a smile and let him in, Mal having already departed for the day.

"I have booked us a reservation at Tiana's for seven o'clock and afterwards I figured a midnight stroll might be in order."

Evie nodded. "Wait, Tiana's? Wow. You really went all out."

Doug shrugged. "Only the best for my princess."

Evie blushed a little and smiled. Doug realised he was still holding the flowers and held them out to her.

"For you." he said, as she took the flowers from him.

"Tulips! They're gorgeous." She said, putting them in the vase on her desk which was always filled with flowers from Doug.

"Did you know that red tulips symbolise a declaration of love?" Doug said, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her arm while she arranged the flowers to stop them from falling.

Evie smiled and turned to him. "In that case, I love you too."

Doug smirked and kissed her briefly before holding out the package in his hand. Evie took with curiosity. She unwrapped to find a jewellery box covered in blue and green gems of various shapes and sizes.

"Wow. A jewellery box." Evie said, smiling.

"I put the gems on myself." Doug said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know it's a bit shabby but it was the first time I tried to work with gems and it's harder than it looks."

Evie looked up, looking touched. "So that's where you've been disappearing off to all week? You were making this for me?"

Doug nodded. "There's more. Open it."  
Evie opened the box, excitement filling her to the brim, to find a small heart shaped door in the lid. She gently pulled it open to see a small picture of Doug, smiling with his arm around Evie who had taken the picture. They looked so happy in that picture.

"You don't have to keep the picture." Doug said, as she stared at it. "You can change it if you want to, to whatever you want. I can show you how if you-"

Evie silenced him with a kiss. "Shh. I love it. Now, open this. It's nowhere near as thoughtful as yours but I tried."

Doug raised his eyebrow as he took the envelope from Evie and opened to find tickets to see the Dragon Slayers.

"No way." He said, staring with wide eyes. "But how? These are so hard to come by. And really expensive."

"I just happen to be a very successful business woman." Evie replied, smiling as her boyfriend stared at the tickets, obviously speechless with happiness.

"Eve, you are amazing." Doug said, looking up at her. "I can't believe you actually got these for me."

Evie smiled. "Anything for the prince of my heart."

Doug kissed her briefly before putting down the envelope and holding out his hand to her. "How about we spend the rest of the day together before our reservation."

"Or before I need to get ready." Evie countered. Doug agreed and they left the room, spending the rest of their time together. Everything was perfect and they couldn't ask for a better anniversary. They'd been together one year and they knew there were so many more to come.

 **Thank you Guest (30/11/17). This prompt was awesome and had me thinking for a long time. I loved it.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: They did, didn't they?**

 **Grace: No secret ingredient. Just a lot of thought and fast typing.**

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 **Owllover34: Thank you! And I think they'd be great friends. I'm glad I got the privilege to write them.**

 **Eli201: Thanks. It was nice to write :)**

 **SusieBeast: Definitely. I agree completely.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	36. Maleficent's Return

It was a bright day in Auradon and everyone was going about their business. Shop keepers were running their shops, workers were working hard and students were studying. And finally, last but not least, the King of Auradon and his Lady were hauled up in his office trying to work through some papers.

"These reports just don't add up." Ben muttered to Mal. "How does this even work?"

Mal leaned over and looked at the report. "You have the pages mixed up. And this one doesn't belong to those reports." She said, looking up at him, her eyebrow raised. As realisation struck him, Ben nodded slowly.

"Right. I knew that." He said, reorganising the pages

Mal looked at him a bit sadly, "Ben, you're obviously exhausted. Maybe you should call it a day."

"I can't 'call it a day', Mal. I'm the King and my work is never done. The only reason I can take days off is because..."

"You're the king but are still a teenager so it's understandable." Mal finished. "Ben, this report isn't due till next week. You've finished all of this week's work already. Take the afternoon off and you can get back to work tomorrow."

"We have a council meeting in an hour." Ben argued, looking her in the eye. Mal's shoulders drooped slightly.

"I know, but you've done loads of work today. Including all the homework that was piling up."

Ben shrugged. "Still a student."

"Still a student who works way too hard." Mal countered. "Come on, your stress levels will be through the roof if you don't relax for a few hours."

Ben sighed. "Fine. But if I get called away..."

"You can go back to work. Seriously, Ben. You work too hard. Nothing is going to happen just because you take an hour or so off."

Ben nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Okay, fine. I'll stop for today."

Mal smiled and began clearing up, Ben following suit.

Just as they walked out of the office, Evie came charging in. "Oh, good. You guys are here!" She said, a little out of breath. "It's an emergency."

Ben bent down and quickly whispered in Mal's ear, "This is why I don't take time off." He then looked back up at Evie. "What's the emergency?" he asked her, his voice at his normal volume.

"Maleficent has escaped."

Three words send the world crashing down around their ears.

"How?" Mal asked. "She's a tiny lizard, there is no way she could get out of that cage."

"The cage was broken." Evie said. "It's shattered on the floor and among that I saw this."

It was a picture of the Core Four at Ben's coronation, ripped in two with a message scrawled on the back containing Mal.

 _I'm baaaaack_!

-Time skip-

The council meeting was in uproar. Everyone was in panic and yelling on top of each other.

"Order!" Ben was yelling to know avail.

"Will everybody just shut up and sit down! Panicking is not going to make her go away!" Mal yelled, finally snapping.

Everyone immediately quieted down and returned to their seats.

"Ben, you were saying?" Mal said, gesturing for Ben to go on.

"Thank you Mal." He replied before turning back to the council. "As I was saying, Maleficent has broken free but that is no reason to cause an uproar. We must remain calm so that the people are also calm."

"So they're going to have no idea that Maleficent is among us?" Queen Leah demanded, standing up.

Mal stood up as well, gently leaning on the table. "If we tell the people, it would cause a mass panic. That's exactly what Mother wants. She wants fear. It makes her feel more powerful."

"I see you still call her 'Mother'." Queen Leah sneered.

"That is not what is relevant here!" Ben said, jumping in. "Mal, continue what you were saying."

"Thank you. Now if you would kindly resume your seat, I have a few words to say."  
Queen Leah sat down, her nose in the air while Mal straightened her back and looked over at the council. "We don't inform the people. That would cause mass panic. We need as much calm as we can muster to get this situation under control. That's why this information does not leave this room. No friends. No family. No one must know. You've all been informed because of the King's trust in you. You keep the people of Auradon safe and have safety protocols to put into action if the situation calls for it. But it is vital that we remain calm and as soon as there is a sighting, no matter how small, you immediately contact Castle Beast."

Mal sat down again, looking over at Ben. Ben nodded with a smile before addressing the council. "Lady Mal is right. Listen to what she has told you."

"So as soon as we spot Maleficent, you'll just come over and do your 'Power of evil is good as none,' thing?" Li Shang inquired.

Mal shook her head. "I'm afraid it'll be more complicated than that. Maleficent broke the original spell in some way that wasn't learning to love, meaning she would be resistant to it, no matter how powerful me and my siblings love for each other is."

Ben reached over and took her hand under the table, squeezing in reassurance.

"Any more questions?" Ben asked, addressing the council. No one said anything, all looking a little lost. "Meeting adjourned."

As everyone left, Mal turned to Ben, looking almost frightened. They left the room and as soon as they were in private, Mal burst into tears. Ben wrapped her in a hug and held her there.

"Hey, hey. It's going to be okay. We'll find a way."

"But Ben, power of four won't work again and I don't know if I can beat her."

Ben nodded. "I know. Which is why you won't face her."

Mal immediately stopped sobbing and pulled back, looking at him while her tears still streamed out of her face. "What?"

"I won't let you face her. I can't risk losing you. You said it yourself, you may not be powerful enough."

"But I know my mother inside and out." Mal argued. "I was raised by her, I know her ways!"

"Then you'll know that you're the first she'll come after! I'm not going to lose you Mal."

"You won't! I've beat her before, I can beat her again!"

"You said it yourself, Mal! You can't! You'd need to find another way."

"So I will!" Mal persisted.

Ben shook his head. "No. I'm not losing you." He then pushed her into the room behind her and shut the door, locking it with his master key.

"Let me out!" Mal said, pounding on the door.

"I'm sorry, Mal." Ben said, resting his head and hands against the door, sounding broken and on the verge of tears. "But I won't lose you."

"Ben please!" Mal cried out, her voice shattered. It broke Ben's heart to do that to her but he had to. It was the only way to keep her safe. The only thing he could do was whisper that he was sorry and walk away, trying to block out the sound of her pleading.

Mal collapsed onto the floor by the door. She wasn't a damsel in distress, in need of protecting and saving. But Ben was right. With her locked up, Maleficent will have a harder time finding her, giving them more time to find a way to beat her.

Evie came by later and knocked on the door. "Hey, M? It's Evie."

"Hey E." Mal's voice came from inside the room. "Have you found anything yet?"

"No. I just came to check on you. You know this is for your own good?"

"Yeah. Locking up your best chance is a great idea by the way."

"Mal, if you're out and about, she will find you easier. And we're a bit afraid that you'll go off to find her yourself."

"I would." Mal agreed. "Because this is my fight."

"No, Mal. It's not. It's all of ours."

"Then, why am I the only one locked up?"

Evie sighed. "Because you'll go after her. And we don't want to risk losing you. And once we figure out a plan..."

"I'm the bait. I know."

"I'm sorry, M."

"Don't be. You're not the one who shoved me in here and locked the door."

"Ben is just-"

"Trying to protect me, I know. Trust me, I know. Ever since Cotillion, he's never done anything but try to protect me. And show me all the love he can."

Evie smiled. "You're lucky, you know? He really does love you."

"I know." That was all Mal said and no more was said after that so Evie took that as her cue to leave.

Mal sat in her room for what felt like hours. A meal was briefly shoved in but it lay untouched. As the night came, Mal sat on the windowsill, staring out into the inky blackness that covered the earth. She slept on and off, unable to rest enough to sleep properly. It seemed ridiculous, locking her up when she was an important part of the plan but when loved ones are in danger, people do crazy things. They'll realise they need her and let her out again. She knows they will. She watched at the sun rose and ignored the breakfast that was pushed in quickly, the door locked immediately behind it.

Ben returned later on that day, the master key in hand. "Mal?"

"I'm still here, if that's what you're wondering."

"I'm so sorry, Mal. But I need you to stay in here. Maleficent has been spotted nearby and we think she's after you. I'm going to unlock the door but promise me, if you leave this room, it's to run. You won't fight."

"Ben, I'm your best bet."

"Well, I'd rather not lay your life on the line. I'm not risking losing you. I've nearly lost you too many times."

Mal sighed. "I know. But-"

"Mal, please. Just promise me this. You will leave here to run only."

"Fine. I promise. Just be careful. Please."

Ben unlocked the door. He opened it and walked in, heading straight to Mal who was sat on the window sill.

"I will be." He whispered before kissing her hard. "I love you."

"I love you too." Mal whispered back.

Screams were heard throughout the castle and Ben ran out, running toward the commotion. Mal heard a booming evil laugh that chilled her to the bone. Mal did what Ben said. She ran. But not away. She ran towards the commotion. When she reached it, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben and many guards stood against Dragon Maleficent who was batting them with her tail.

"I've said this once and I will say it again! LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Mal surged forward and turned into a dragon herself. She roared at her mother and they began a claw fight. Mal was much smaller than Maleficent and was nearly crushed to death. Blood oozed out of her wounds while her friends all cried out to her.

Mal took off to the sky and Maleficent followed, biting and scratching the whole time. They roared and blew fire at each other and bit and scratched till Maleficent let out a triumphant roar and knocked Mal out of the sky. Mal crashed to the ground and purple smoke surrounded her, turning her back to her original human form, still covered in wounds.  
"Mal!" Ben cried out, running towards her. He reached her and collapsed on his knees next to her. Evie, Jay and Carlos had fallen way back and had no way of getting to them as Maleficent landed in front of them. "Don't die on me, Mal. Don't die on me."

"See what love gets you?" Maleficent, now in human form, declared as she stood over Ben and Mal.

"Stay away from her." Ben growled, cradling Mal's head gently.

"Nothing." Maleficent continued. "Love is weakness."

"No." said a weak voice. "It's strength." Mal's eyes opened and she shakily sat up. "And just because you know no love, it doesn't make it a bad thing."

Maleficent turned into a dragon again and began staring Mal down, determined to beat her as she knew the effort would kill Mal.

Mal stared her mother right back and began chanting. "The power of evil is good as none when united hearts stand as one." She stood up, holding on to Ben who was just gaping at her. He stood up with her, keeping her steady as she chanted and turned his head to stare Maleficent down as well. Suddenly, in a poof of magic, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Doug, Lonnie, Jane, and even Chad and Audrey were stood next to them. Evie, who had heard the chant immediately started linking hands with Mal and Doug. As everyone grabbed each others hands, Mal felt a surge of strength go through her. The commotion with Maleficent didn't go unnoticed and soon many people were by Mal's side, linking hands with each other. No one was sure how they got there, whether it was magic or they came to help. But everyone stood together as Mal chanted as loud as she could. But she still wasn't winning. Maleficent nearly had her pinned down. And then, out of nowhere, another voice joined Mal. It was Jane. Soon followed by Jordan. And after that, anyone who had magic. Mal's voice got louder as more strength surged through her. People with no magic also began chanting the words in unison and Maleficent began to shrink. The air was filled with the words.

"THE POWER OF EVIL IS GOOD AS NONE, WHEN UNITED HEARTS STAND AS ONE!"

And in a poof of smoke, Maleficent was yet again, a tiny lizard. But this time, she was even smaller and seemingly even more helpless. Mal let out a cry of joy and immediately collapsed, Ben catching her before she hit the floor. As Evie picked up Maleficent and stuck her in the handbag she just happened to be carrying when the attack happened, Ben sighed and kissed Mal.  
"I thought I told you to run." He said when he pulled back.

Mal smirked. "When have I ever run from danger? And besides, I told you you needed me. Not as much as I needed you lot, but you needed me."

"I'm sorry I locked you up, Mal. I don't know what came over me." Ben said, hugging her to keep her steady.

"You were afraid. It's okay. Fear leads people to do stupid things."

Ben nodded. "Yeah. But that's no excuse."

"Ben, don't fret now. We've won again. My mum is gone again. And I don't think she'll be getting out of it this time." Mal wrapped her weak arms around Ben. "I need a nap."

Ben laughed. "And a nap you will get. Come on."

Ben took her inside while the captain of the guard assessed the damages, which were fortunately only to the palace courtyards.

Maleficent remained a lizard for the rest of her life, and was guarded far more securely. Auradon was once again safe.

 **Guest (03/12/2017) I'm really sorry. This probably isn't what you were imagining but this is what happened. I am so sorry. This is full of plot holes and doesn't make complete sense but I did my best. Again, so so sorry. I'm terrible at fight scenes and I'm useless at politics, which is basically what this was.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks**

 **Grace: Yay! I'm happy I did and you need to learn that what you say is not vain! You're allowed to give yourself some credit.**

 **FlatFox: Thanks :)**

 **Eli201: Awww thank you so much for your constant support. And more are on the way, I promise.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Thank you! I loved it too!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	37. Captured (Bal)

The sun was just setting in Auradon as the King and his Lady stood by the parked scooters.

"I still don't think this is a good idea." Ben said as Mal strapped on her helmet.

Mal huffed and looked back at him. "I know you don't. But I do."

"Mal, they'll kill you." Ben insisted, looking fearfully at her.

Mal put her hands on Ben's shoulders. "We have been over this Ben. They will not kill me. I'm feared over there. They won't even wreck my house. The only person who would have killed me was Uma, and she's currently in choir practice, so chances are I'll be fine."

Ben sighed and nodded. "Fine. Still don't like it."

"You don't have to. I'll be back by this evening." Mal said, letting go of Ben and sitting on the bike.

"If you're not here by midnight, I'm coming after you."

Mal nodded. "I know. And it won't come to that." She leaned over and pecked him on the lips. "All I'm doing is talking to the New Anti-Heroes briefly."

Ben nodded in understanding before he leaned down and kissed her again. "Be safe, okay?"

"I will, don't worry." and with that, she sped off, leaving a trail of dust and Ben behind.

"I really don't like this." He muttered to himself before heading off to his office.

Mal zoomed down the path to the edge of the water before reciting the spell Ben had allowed her to memorise for these kind of situations.

"Noble steed proud and fair, you will take me anywhere." She then went over the water and recited the next spell as she approached the barrier.

"Spark and fire, elf and gnome, open up this invisible dome." The barrier opened for a few brief seconds, giving Mal enough time to zoom in. Unfortunately that spell could only be done outside the barrier so she'd have to find another way out. Luckily for her, Yen Sid was able to retrieve the broken remote from Jafar's shop before they were able to fix it. He had one of his students fix it and he uses it to briefly open the barrier for people like Mal who have no way to get home because they didn't bring the limo (because there is only so many times you can hide (or crash) that massive car without being noticed).

Mal zipped to the tunnel that led to Uma's ship and hid it there. She then removed her helmet and went to the hideout, which was being used for the Anti-Heroes club.

Mal smiled at everyone as she walked in.

"Hey, guys." She said, "Good to see you all here."

The group of students began to whisper together, trying to see what was the right thing to say back. Mal turned to Yen Sid.

"So, what's the deal with these kids? Why did you want me to come speak to them?"

Yen Sid looked at all the kids, one of whom finally turned back to Mal and said. "Good to see you too?"

Mal gave him a thumbs up before looking at Yen Sid again. Yen Sid sighed. "They're not ready to leave. We would love it if you could tell everyone a bit about Auradon from the perspective of a former VK."

All the kids looked eagerly at her, wanting to absorb as much information as they could.

"Well, that's where you're wrong Yen Sid." She said, turning to the kids. "I'm not a former VK. I am still a VK. I always will be. But that's not something to be ashamed of. We VKs go through a lot more than any of those AKs could imagine. And that's why King Ben wants to bring us over there. To give us a chance that we deserve, because we don't deserve having to go through what we're going through."

The kids all looked at her sombrely. Mal continued. "So those of us who want that second chance need to take it as soon as we can. For now, you'll have to be strong. You'll need to push through and persevere. Eventually, we'll be taking VKs regularly. Unfortunately, at the moment, it's dangerous to do that. The more we do, the higher chance there is of some of our parents getting out. So stick to this club. If your parents hurt you, take refuge here. At the beginning of each school year we will be taking students back. There is a place you'll stay during the holiday and during the school year, you'll have a dorm to sleep in Auradon Prep. We'll try to take as many of you as we can, but do not get angry if we can't take you. It won't be for lack of trying, trust me."

One of the girls cocked her head at Mal. "But why can't you? Why can't you just take all of us."

Mal smiled sympathetically at her. "We will do our best but there is only so much we can do. There is a lot we have to organise, and the more VKs we bring over, the more panicky the people become."

"Why?" The girl asked.

"They don't know if they can trust us. Too many at once means less control over us, which is a higher risk of things going wrong. We had an uproar when we brought over the whole Anti-Hero club last time."

"Why?" The girl asked again.

"Fear." Mal replied. "Fear can lead to a lot of trouble. We managed to calm everyone after several speeches and public choosing good. Which, by the way, you don't have to do straight away. You make your own choices."

The girl looked at Mal thoughtfully. "What about my parents?" She asked. "I don't want to leave them. I love them."

There was a gasp throughout the group.

"Hey, it's okay to say you love someone." Mal said, looking at the rest of the group. "And as for leaving them, if you really don't want to, you don't have to. Not until you're ready."

The girl nodded, now smiling. "Thanks Mal."

"No problem. Any other questions?"

Mal was asked many questions and answered as many as she could.

She looked at her watch and noticed it was half-past eleven. "Oh, shoot. I have to go. If I'm not home by midnight, Ben's going to get worried and come here."

Yen Sid nodded. "Okay. Guys, say thank you to Mal and then go home."

The kids thanked Mal and filed out of the hideout, heading to their various homes.

Yen Sid and Mal headed out to her bike. When they were almost there, Yen Sid reached into his pocket.

"Oh, flibbertigibbet." he exclaimed. "I must have left the remote. I'm going to go find it, stay here, stay hidden."

Mal nodded. "Yes sir."

Yen Sid headed back to the hideout while Mal searched for a place to hide. Suddenly, she felt a hand over her mouth and something hit her head before the world went black.

Ben sat in his office, tapping his fingers and watching the clock. He had the keys to his scooter and a remote from the limo sitting at the ready. It was nearly midnight and Mal still wasn't back. She promised she'd text the moment she was back in Auradon but she hadn't. He knew that she could easily be caught up talking to all the Anti-Heroes as they probably had loads of questions and wanted to know a lot about it. And knowing Mal, she was probably telling them what she could in as much detail as possible. But still, it was almost midnight. Mal was quite good with being conscious of time. She would have realised. Deciding it was near enough midnight to be worried, Ben got up and grabbed his keys and the remote. He had to go after her.

Mal woke up with a throbbing head and tied wrists and ankles. She was sat on the cold, dirty floor and was surrounded by the smell of burning. Mal groaned as she opened her eyes and looked around.

"Well, well, well. The dragon awakes." A voice said. "Not that you're like a dragon at the moment but- you know what I mean."

"Zevon." Mal growled. "What do you want from me?"

"Freedom." Zevon said, getting close to her. "And you." He traced his finger over her chin, while she tried to pull her head back. "We would be perfect together Mal. But you threw it all for the chance to be good."

"That was the best decision I made. And as for you and me? Give up, Zevon. It never would have happened." Mal spat in his eye, causing him to recoil.

"Oh you will pay for that." He said, backing away towards a table.

"What are you doing?" Mal inquired, a little worried. Zevon stepped away to show a table full of broken test tubes and bottles and some tubes etc.

"Making potions with any chemical I can find."

Mal felt panicky but didn't show it. "Like you could find many on the Isle."

"No, I couldn't. Your right. I mean, you'd think people would be more considerate and throw some away, but they just aren't." His face hardened again. "Anyway, I can still make some potions with what I've got. Enough to cause pain, anyway."

Mal silently gulped but her face remained set in stone.  
"Oh, don't worry, Mal. I won't use them on you. Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little face of yours."

Mal stayed silent and just glared at Zevon. Zevon laughed evilly and went back to work.

Ben pressed the remote and zoomed over the bridge as fast as he could. The moment he was over, he clicked it again, meaning the barrier closed again. He zipped through the Isle, looking for Mal, while trying to stay vaguely hidden. He had managed to put on his Isle coat and beanie so he looked vaguely like he belonged, making him less suspicious. He stopped when he saw Mal's scooter. Leaving his there, panic rising, Ben ran from there and began heading to the hideout. On the way, he was stopped in his tracks.

"King Ben." Yen Sid said. "Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for Lady Mal." Ben replied.

"I am too. I left for just a minute because I forgot to remote but when I got back here, she was gone."

"Gone?!" Ben exclaimed.

"Shh. Keep your voice down. We'll have to find her."

Ben shook his head. "I'll do this by myself. I don't want you to risk it."

Yen Sid nodded in understanding. Ben bid him goodbye and ran off, trying to find any clue as to where she may have gone. He saw something glinting in the corner of his eye and turned to see his ring lying on the floor. Ben knelt down and picked it up, rolling it between his fingers. He put the ring in his pocket and searched for other clues.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't King Ben, on the Isle of all places."

Ben whipped around to see Zevon standing there.

"Where's Mal?" He growled.

Zevon laughed and didn't answer. Instead he picked something up and yelled. "Ke-plow!" throwing the object. Ben ducked but when he stood up again, Zevon had run away. Ben yelled in frustration and kicked the barrel next to him.

Mal looked up when Zevon walked back in. He said nothing and went back to work, smirking evilly while Mal sat there, unsure of what to do.

"I wonder..." Zevon suddenly spoke up. "If Beasty Boy will give me my freedom for your life?" He turned to Mal.

Mal stifled a gasp. Ben was here. Of course he was. It must be past midnight. Mal almost laughed at the thought. But that meant he was searching for her and will get into a lot of trouble if he's not careful.

"Perhaps I'll go ask him." Zevon continued. "I didn't want him following me here but perhaps if I bargain with him, he'll give me my freedom."

And with that he left, leaving Mal terrified and alone. A tear slipped out, unsure of what Zevon will do to her true love.

Ben looked around as he heard Zevon addressed him again. "I have a propesteration for you."

"A what?"

"You know, a propesteration. You give me something in exchange for Mal's life."

Ben growled. "Where is Mal?"

"I'll tell you. In exchange, you'll give me the remote to open the barrier."

Ben glowered at him.

"I'll give you an hour to decide. Be here with the remote, or Mal becomes mine. Forever."

And with that Zevon ran off. Now, Zevon is not the brightest guy and didn't realise that Ben would follow him. Once Zevon went in the warehouse that was his home, Ben followed, going around the outside. He peaked into the window and saw Zevon playing with chemicals while Mal sat with her hands and feet tied together. Her head hung low and she looked like she had a massive bump on the side of her head. This made Ben mad so all thoughts of a plan and any other rational thought disappeared from his mind and he broke down the door next to the window, charging in and smashing Zevon to the ground. Mal shrieked his name while he held Zevon by his collar and growled in his face.

"Ben! Stop, let him go." Mal's voice broke through all the anger that was in him and let go of Zevon, rushing over to her. "Watch out!"  
"Ka-blam!" Zevon yelled as he threw a bottle of chemicals at Ben. Ben got out of the way just in time and kept heading towards Mal.

"Ka-boosh!"

Ben grabbed a piece of wood and smacked it back. However, it made a hissing sound when it hit the wood and it began to dissolve in Ben's hand.

Zevon kept throwing them. At one point it just caught Ben and his arm got burned making him cry out in pain.

Mal was sobbing as she saw Ben try to fight Zevon with no way to win. That was until Ben suddenly let out another beastly roar and charged at Zevon, slamming into him and causing him to fly into the wall, knocking him out cold. Ben then whipped around and ran to Mal, untying her as best he could. After what felt like ages, Ben managed to get her hands untied and with her help, get her ankles untied as well. He helped her up and hugged her tight.

"Let's get out of here." He mumbled.

Mal nodded. "What about Zevon?"

"Yen Sid can attend to him, I'm sure. Let's just get you home."

He and Mal ran out of the warehouse and spotted Yen Sid waiting by the bikes when they finally managed to reach them. Ben went over to him and asked him to go make sure Zevon was okay, as he didn't want to have harmed him. Yen Sid agreed and Ben and Mal got on their bikes. Once the helmets were strapped on, Ben and Mal zoomed out of the Isle, closing the barrier quickly after they left.

Once they were back at Auradon Prep, Ben took Mal to his office so they wouldn't disturb Evie. They sat on the sofa and Mal burst into tears, clinging to Ben as she sobbed. Ben didn't say anything, just held her there and rubbed her back while she let everything out.

Taking a few gulping breaths, Mal sat back. "I was so scared." She whispered.

Ben nodded solemnly. "I know. I shouldn't have let you go there alone."

"It's not your fault, Ben. There was no way you could have known this would happen."

"I should have." Ben replied. "I should have-"

"Ben. Stop." Mal interrupted, putting her hand on his chest. She gasped. "Oh no! Your ring!"

Ben smiled and reached into his pocket. "This one?"

Mal let out a sigh of relief and took it from him, slipping it on her finger. "I guess you finally saved me, eh?" She said, looking up from his ring to his face.

Ben smiled. "I suppose I did. And I'd do it again."

"Let's hope there is no need." Mal replied. "I love you, you know?"

"I love you too."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. She broke away and lay her head on his chest, falling asleep straight away. Ben didn't want to disturb her so left her be and fell asleep himself. And that's how they were found the next morning, at peace and together.

 **Here you go xez2003. I hope this lived up to your expectations.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: Thanks. Glad you liked it.**

 **Owllover34: Awwww thanks. That is so sweet of you to say. And I'm sorry. Now it is one more and then yours. This one was requested in a PM so I understand your mix-up.**

 **Maniey: First off, sorry I didn't add your name in the previous chapter. I must have missed it when I was checking out who sent the request. I'm so sorry. Second off, Thank you! You're a sweetheart.**

 **Eli201: Aww thanks. And yes, that is very like Mal.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Nope, you're not. And I guess she does.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Awww thank you!**

 **Nala Bae: I'd love to but you'll have to ask when the requests are open again. All requests requested while requests are closed will be ignored I'm afraid.**

 **Chloe: Aww thank you and as much as I'd like to, the requests are closed. All requests requested while requests are closed will be ignored.**

 **SusieBeast: Thanks. You rock too.**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	38. Rivalry (Bal)

The day of the big tourney game had finally arrived and the whole school was buzzing with excitement. The tourney team were getting ready while the rest of the school headed to the bleachers. Mal followed her boyfriend as far as the changing rooms before stopping him.

"Good luck." she said, "Not that you'll need it." She began to walk away but Ben stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"Ah, ah, ah. Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked, a playful grin on his face.

Mal smirked at him and cocked her head innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ben laughed and grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to him. "C'mere you." he said before kissing her. Mal giggled and put her arms around his neck, nuzzling his nose.

"Of course. How can I forget?" she joked.

"Maybe I should remind you again." he mumbled before kissing her again, longer this time.

She broke apart from him, smiling before saying, "Come on, let me go. You have a game to play."

Ben grinned. "Nah. I think I need a bit more luck first." He kissed her again, not loosing his hold in the slightest.

Suddenly, someone bashed into Ben, causing his shoulder to jerk backwards. He hissed in pain slightly before looking at the guy who ran into him. It was the Tourney Captain of the opposing team, Imperial Academy.

"You two were blocking the path." The captain (Chang Long, Ben remembered) sneered.

"Sorry." Ben apologised, gently placing a hand on Mal's shoulder as he sensed her rising anger. "We didn't realise."

Chang Long scoffed and walked away. Ben turned to Mal who was looking livid.

"He did that on purpose! There's loads of space to get around us." Mal exclaimed,

"I know, I know." Ben said, rubbing her arms. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you when I was yanked back, did I?"

Mal shook her head. "No, I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm fine. Pain is gone already. Calm down, okay? He's just trying to aggravate me so that I'll lose my cool on the field."

Mal nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay."

"I'd better go. See you after the game?" Ben asked, smiling.

Mal smiled back. "Of course. Who else is going to give you a victory kiss?"

Ben grinned and quickly stole one last kiss before heading inside. Mal laughed and rolled her eyes before heading to the bleachers, sitting next to Evie and Lonnie, both of whom were dressed in Auradon blue (and yellow in Lonnie's case). Evie had tried to convince Mal to wear a blue and yellow dress but Mal just wanted to wear her normal shirt, jeans and jacket. They ended up in a compromise in which Mal had to wear blue jeans and Ben's letterman jacket over any shirt she wanted. Both girls were happy with this and that's how it ended up.

Hugging Ben's jacket closer to herself, Mal sat down in the bleachers and waited for the game to begin. She cheered loudly as the teams were introduced and watched Ben shake hands with Chang Long. If she could see that far, she would have seen Ben silently wince in pain as Chang Long tried to crush his hand. The game began and players dove right into the game. The ball flew this way and that and the Dragon Fire was flying like nobody's business. At one point, Chang Long rammed into Ben, causing him to go flying and 'accidently' trod on his fingers before he could get up. Unfortunately this wasn't counted as a foul, as ramming into someone was in fact a block, so Chang Long got away with it and Ben had to get up quickly, despite the obvious pain he was in. He soon got over it and flew to the other side of the field, intercepting the ball and taking off down the other way. He passed to Jay, who passed back to Ben, who passed it to Chad, who passed it back to Ben and Ben shot the ball into the back of the net, the goalie a milisecond to slow. The Auradon side of the field went wild, screaming Ben's name and jumping and clapping. The game went on and there were a few moment when Chang Long 'accidently' hit Ben in the chest with the back of his stick. Due to protective padding, Ben was always able to recover quickly, while all the while, Mal was getting more and more livid. She could tell Chang Long was doing it on purpose because he obviously had something against Ben.

The game finally ended, the score 4:3 to the Auradon Knights, Jay having scored a goal last second. The fans cheered wildly and the cheerleaders went nuts. The band began playing the victory march while the team lifted Jay (who had scored half the goals and set Chad and Ben up for the other two) onto their shoulders, naming him MVP once again. Mal rushed down the bleachers, everyone thinking she was going to congratulate Ben but quickly realised what was actually happening when she began heading for the Imperial Academy team. The team quickly put Jay down and Carlos and Jay rushed forward and pulled Mal back, holding her arms firmly. Mal squirmed and tried to get away while Ben came over and pulled her away from the boys, taking her into his arms.

"Hey." He said, looking her in the eye, his hands on her arms. "Calm down. He did nothing illegal."

"He purposely hurt you!" Mal exclaimed.

"Within the rules of the game. And I'm fine, Mal. He damage anything."

Over by the Imperial Academy, Chang Long saw Mal get pulled away and began talking loudly so that the other team could hear.

"Is it just me or does it look like our own little Maleficent wants to hurt me? Like she could, without her magic spell book. She's just a weak, pathetic girl without it."

Ben felt a surge of anger but kept his cool, focusing on Mal and trying to reassure her that he was fine.

"Dude, cut it out." Yu, Yao and Mei's son, said. "Girl's aren't weak."

"Well, not all girls, but she is. Look at her." Chang Long replied, turning to Mal. "She's a spindly stick. Speaking of spindles, surely as Maleficent's daughter, she would know a thing or two about spells. You'd think she'd know a spell to make her disappear so none of us had to deal with her."

"Long! Not cool, man!" One of the other teammates said. "Why are you dishonouring her? What's she ever done to you?"

"She's a villain kid. She brought dishonour on _Auradon_ just by begin here. She's probably spiteful, manipulative and evil, just. Like. Her. Mother." he said, sounding out each word.

Ben's finally snapped and growled as he let go of Mal and charged at Chang Long. Some of the Fighting Knights ran after him, trying to catch up with him and hold him back, the rest were trying to hold back Jay, who had been trying to attack Chang Long from the moment he started talking.

Ben grabbed Chang by the collar before the team managed to grab him and pull him away. Chang Long laughed as Ben was dragged away.

"See? She won't even fight her own battles without magic. She needs the King to defend her instead."

A hand grabbed Chang Long's neck and a gruff voice said, "You're coming with me. Now."

The rest of the Imperial Academy stood in shock as Coach Li Shang led Chang Long away to give him a very long lecture about bringing dishonour onto the team.

Ben took a few deep breaths before shaking off the team and going to Mal, who was stood stock still, slightly dazed at what just happened.

When he reached Mal, she raised an eyebrow at him. "What happened to 'he's just trying to provoke you'?"

"He succeeded." Ben said, wrapping his arms around her.

Mal rolled her eyes and put her hands on his neck. "I believe I owe you a victory kiss."

"Well then, you'd better pay up in full, or we may have a problem on our hands." He joked.

Mal smirked and pulled him down, kissing him hard on lips. Ben responded eagerly and grinned at her when they pulled apart.

"I don't know if that pays it off properly." He said. Mal whacked his shoulder lightly.

"Dork." She said, grinning. "Come on, you have a team who wants victory pizza."

Ben looked up at the team and grinned back at Mal. "The team can wait." he said, leaning down to kiss her again.

Mal dodged and pulled out of his arms. "Ah, ah, ah. Your team are getting impatient and I can wait."

"Maybe I can't." Ben said, jokingly.

"Then you'll have to suck it up. Go!" She pushed him towards the team. Ben laughed and ran towards the team, waving behind him as they went.

Chang Long ended up getting suspended from the team for a while and had to write a long apology letter to both Ben and Mal. They both forgave him, wanting to forget the rivalry and move on with their lives.

 **Voila SusieBeast. I tried to add as much of your ideas as I could and this was the result. I hope it was good enough.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Nope. I don't think he is.**

 **xez2003: It was my honour. And thank you!**

 **Grace: Awww, thanks love! I totally agree. I'd love to see live action Zevon.**

 **Eli201: Yes! Thank you so much! And I will. Trust me.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Nope. Bal is a perfect match so why Zevon doesn't see that is beyond me.**

 **Owllover34: You lucky thing! And yours next so YAY!**

 **Kate cheese: Thank you! And I'll help you murder him.**

 **SusieBeast: Yes, they so are! And thank you! You're such a sweetheart.**

 **I love each and every one of you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	39. First Date (Geddie)

The bright midday sun shone over Home Away From Home, the place in which Auradon Prep students with no home could stay during the holidays. At the moment, it was just VKs but it was open to any child who needed it. There was a massive game of tag happening out back as everyone laughed and chased each other, the older ones tackling each other while the younger ones just tagged and scattered. Freddie could see it happening from her room and smiled at all the people having fun. Even some of the AKs were there, chasing each other around. Freddie turned back to her music book, and strummed a few chords before noting them down. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Freddie said, turning her head to see who it was. Gil was stood there, looking rather awkward, which was odd, seeing as he was super confident (even a bit narcissistic sometimes).

"Hey Freddie." He said, running a hand through his hair. Freddie put her guitar to the side and stood up.

"You okay, man? You look like you're gonna be sick." Freddie asked, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed. "Cause if you are, don't do it in my room."

Gil shook his head, his confidence returning. "No, I'm not. I was just wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?"

Freddie looked at him in shock. "Me. On a date. With you." She blinked a few times. "Why? Have I stepped into some parallel dimension here?"

Gil looked confused. "A what?"

"An alternative universe?" Freddie tried again. "An alternate reality?"

Both these went over Gil's head so Freddie sighed. "Why would you be asking me out? I ain't your type."

Gil blushed a bit. "Yeah you are."  
"I have seen your type. Your type is pretty girls who wear short skirts and are willing to throw themselves at you."

Gil squared his shoulders and looked Freddie in the eye. "Maybe I have a new type. Sassy girls with big mouths but are still almost as gorgeous as me."

Freddie was speechless. She stared at him in shock for a while before snapping out of it. She regarded him for a few more seconds in curiosity before nodding. "All right, I'll give you a chance. But remember, I ain't one of your pretty pieces of arm candy, okay?"

Gil nodded. "Understood. Wanna go now?"

Freddie cocked up an eyebrow. "How about you give me fifteen minutes. You're buying lunch, right?"

Gil nodded. "What kind of a man would I be if I didn't pay?"

"A none traditional one." Freddie replied. "Now, get out and let me get ready. I'll see you down there."

Gil nodded and left, flashing her a grin. When he left, Freddie sat down on her bed, thinking. Did she like Gil? Like like him? Maybe...maybe not. She wasn't too sure but one date can't hurt, right? Freddie stood up and went to her wardrobe, pulling out a few jackets and dresses before deciding on a plum coloured dress with a green waist coat that had red buttons going up it. She grabbed her small purple hat, trimmed with red and a red feather sticking out of it. She put these things on and grabbed her black high-heeled sneakers. She laced them up and then headed down to see Gil waiting there, his hair pulled back neatly with the bandanna round his head.

"Right, let's go." She said, sliding down the banister.

"Freddie, careful!" Evie, ever the mum of the group, cried out. "I know it's fun but it almost ended up in injury last time."

Freddie just laughed it off and started heading towards the door before she was stopped.

"Can I talk to you a second?" Uma asked, as sweetly as she could muster. "Alone?"

Freddie nodded and followed Uma into the living room.

"All right Shadow Girl, listen here." Uma said, rounding on Freddie, the sweet act dropped. "That's my best friend out there, so if you hurt him, you deal with me?"

"Okay, okay. First off, Gil is a big boy. He can take care of himself and secondly, we're going out on one date. What could possibly happen?"

"Just know that I'm watching you, Freddie Facilier." Uma replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Oooh, using last name. Spooky!" Freddie said, waving her hands in a 'spooky' manner, her tone sarcastic. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a date to attend. See ya!" Freddie walked out and smiled at Gil.  
"Well, let's go." She said, heading to the door.

Gil followed her out and they walked down the street towards a nearby burger place, just talking about this and that. They reached the restaurant and walked in, smiling. Freddie took a deep breath.

"Mm, mm, mm." She said appreciatively. "There is nothing like a good burger to fill a hungry stomach."

Gil nodded in agreement and bought two big burgers with fries for them, to take out. They walked through the town, eating (read: inhaling) their food.

At one point, Gil told Freddie to wait where she was while he went and bought something. Freddie sat on the bench he left her at and waited. When he came back, he was holding a paper bag that came from a bakery. He handed it to Freddie who opened it to find…

"Puffed deliciousness!" She exclaimed, pulling one of her favourite puffed pastries, cherry buns, out of her bag. "How did you know?" she stuffed in her mouth, moaning at the amazing taste that exploded in her mouth.

Gil shrugged. "I've seen you devour them every time they're on the table."

Freddie pulled another out and chucked it at him. Gil caught it deftly and ate it in one bite.

"Hmm, you're right." Gil said, licking his lips. "These are the best."

Freddie nodded, having already eaten three. Gil stole the bag from her and ate the last one.

Freddie glared at him while he threw the bag away, being sure to put it in the bin because last time he didn't, he got a massive telling off and he didn't fancy sitting through that again.

He then got up and offered his hand to Freddie. Freddie took it and stood up but let go straight away. They began walking home in silence, when Gil suddenly bumped his shoulder into Freddie's. Freddie playfully raised her eyebrow and bumped him back, harder. Gil retaliated with a playful look in his eye and it went back and forth like that until Gil knocked into her so hard that she lost her balance. But she wasn't going down that easy. Nope, not Freddie Facilier. She grabbed Gil and pulled him down with her. Luckily for them, they landed in the grass so they weren't too badly hurt. The two of them began rolling around, both trying to pin the other. Gil, having superior strength was able to pin her down for longer but Freddie was rather agile and wouldn't stay pinned down for long. Eventually, Gil won, holding her down while she tried to squirm her way out.

"I win." He said simply before getting up. He picked up her hat, which had fallen off a little while and go and dusted it off. He then handed it to Freddie, who was now sitting up, and offered his hand to help her get up. She accepted and stood up, dusting herself off in the process.

Before they reached the Home, Freddie turned to Gil.

"Let's get one thing straight here." She said. "I'm not going to do any of that lovey-dovey gooey stuff that all the other couples do."

Gil nodded in understanding. "Okay."

"Well, I'm glad we've got that sorted."  
"Wait, so does that mean you want to be my girlfriend?"

Freddie nodded. "If you want me to be."  
Gil grinned happily. "I'd love you to be."

Freddie smiled back. "Well then, I guess it's decided. Race you home!"  
She suddenly took off, running down the street towards the Home as fast as she could. Gil tore after her, laughing the whole way.

 **Owllover34, here you go! That's 1/3 done for you. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Owllover34: I loved how you remember Yu from Chapter 12! And yes, they are very cute together.**

 **Grace: I agree, it was very immature. Awww, and I get very excited every time you review!**

 **SusieBeast: Awww, I'm so glad you loved it!**

 **Eli201: Yassss. Bal cuteness = life**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: I don't think I'll ever like him either. And yasss. Ben losing his temper is so classy. Although if the team hadn't pulled him back, it would have gotten very messy.**

 **Kate cheese: So true! To basically that whole review! You rock too!**

 **Maniey: I will assist you. Muhahaha. Aww, thank you!**

 **LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH MY ADORABLE LITTLE MUNCHKINS!**

 **(that came out of nowhere. XD)**

 **SparkyGurl**


	40. Boyfriend!

The shiny, sleek limo pulled up by the school and waited for the people who had hired it to arrive. The driver smiled to himself as he saw a small, athletic-looking girl trying to drag a boy who was roughly a foot taller than her. The boy seemed to be wanting to resist but went with the girl anyway.

"I'm telling you, Kamryn, your dad is going to hate the fact that we're together." The boy said as they sat in the back.

"Dad will get over it." The girl replied, brushing her long black hair over her shoulder. She tapped on the window separating the driver from the back to tell him they were ready. The limo slowly began moving, heading towards the home of the coach of the Fighting Knights.

The boy opened his mouth to say something again but Kamryn interrupted him. "Look, Tommy, we have discussed this multiple times. We are just going round and round in circles and I'm getting sick of it. We're almost there now, so just stop worrying. You'll be fine."

"But, Kam-"

"I swear if you keep trying to argue, I will drop kick you out there in front of my parents." Kamryn said, looking annoyed.

Tommy sighed in defeat and sat back, watching the scenery roll by. They finally arrived and the kids hopped out, to see Kamryn's parents standing there.

"Mama!" Kamryn said, running up to her mother and hugging her.

"What, no love for your old man?" Jay joked, holding out his arms.

"I see you every day, coach." Kamryn joked back before hugging him as well. She then headed over to the boot of the car and pulled out her bags, and grabbing her boyfriend by the arm and pulling him over.

"You guys know Tommy, right?" Kamryn asked.

"Harry and Uma's kid, right?" Lonnie inquired.

Tommy nodded. "That's me. Nice to meet you properly Mrs Li."

"Oh, please, just call me Lonnie. Mrs Li makes me feel old." Lonnie replied. She then began to usher everyone inside but stopped when she saw her husband's face. "Jay?"

"Why did she bring Tommy home?" he asked, mainly to himself.

Lonnie crossed her arms. "What's wrong with Tommy? He's not one of the trouble students, is he?"

"He's unpredictable, that's for sure." Jay replied.

Lonnie linked her arm into Jay's. "Hey, it'll be fine."

Jay nodded. "Yeah, yeah. You're right."

Lonnie gestured him inside with her head and together they walked into their home, smiling as they watched Kamryn show Tommy around.

After the tour, Kamryn and Tommy sat down in the living room while Lonnie brought out the cookies and Jay sat silently, watching the two teens interact.

Lonnie put the tray down on the coffee table and handed Jay his coffee before sitting down next to him with her tea. Kamryn and Tommy both looked rather nervous and neither touched the drinks Lonnie had made for them.

"Mama, Dad, I want to tell you something." Kamryn said, looking up at her parents.

Jay raised an eyebrow while Lonnie looked rather worried. Kamryn took a deep breath and took Tommy's hand.

"Me and Tommy are going out. Have been for a while, actually."

Lonnie gasped in happiness and went over to hug her daughter and Tommy while Jay just stood up and crossed his arms.

"What?" Jay demanded.

"Tommy is my boyfriend." Kamryn said.

Jay blinked a few times before gesturing to the door with his head. Kamryn took this as her cue to leave the room. Jay followed her, looking angry.

"Tommy? Of all the boys in Auradon Prep, it had to be him?" He whisper yelled once they were in the hall.

"What's the problem, Dad? I really like him, he really likes me. Isn't that what matters?"

Jay sighed, his hand over his eyes. "Kamryn, boys like Tommy, they use girls. He'll date you for a little bit but he'll dump you the moment he's bored of you. I don't want you to have to go through that."

"Oh that's rich." Kamryn replied. "Coming from the man who used to put girls through that too."

Jay looked shocked while Kamryn stormed back into living room, mad at her dad for not trusting her judgement.

"She's not wrong you know." Lonnie's voice came from behind her.

Jay turned to Lonnie, looking lost and confused, "What just happened? I was just warning her."

Lonnie sighed and looked Jay in the eye. "She thinks you don't trust her. You were basically telling her she has a lack of judgement."

"Lonnie, Tommy is a player." Jay exclaimed.

"So were you." Lonnie replied gently. "But you changed. Why can't you give Tommy a chance?"

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, "Fine. But if he hurts our baby girl, I will not hesitate to hurt him."

"As long as you do it legally and no permanent damage or any damage preferably." Lonnie said.

"Hey, perks of being coach. I can make PE hell for him."

Lonnie rolled her eyes and gestured for him to go back inside.

Jay sighed and headed in. He stood in front of his daughter and her boyfriend and held out his hand to Tommy.

Tommy took it hesitantly. Jay leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt right now, but if you hurt my daughter, I will not hesitate to make life a living hell for you."

Tommy gulped and nodded. "I have no intention of hurting her, sir." he replied. "Your daughter is one of a kind."

Kamryn blushed slightly while Jay nodded. "Gets it from her mother." he replies.  
Jay sat down again and started up a conversation with Tommy, still not sure about him though.

Jay eventually grew to like him, especially seeing as Tommy had definitely changed his ways to be with Kamryn, much like Jay did with Lonnie. Despite the fact Tommy was like a mini-Harry Hook, he turned out to be a lot like Jay as well. This helped Jay learn to appreciate Tommy. That didn't stop him from making Tommy work harder in PE though. What? The guy's got to get some joy out of torturing his daughter's boyfriend.

 **Owllover34, not my best piece of work, but I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Btw! I have a new story called Simply Complicated, which I wrote with Grace. It's also a Descendants fanfiction so please go check it out!**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: Thanks love ;)**

 **Madam Midnight: Both ideas are great but the requests are closed. Any requests requested when requests are closed will be ignored.**

 **DragonEmperor999: (ch.38) Is that a good holy cow? Or a bad thing? Lol. (ch.39) I think they're cute. And thanks for your constant support.**

 **Owllover34: XD I'm so glad you enjoyed it**

 **LOVE YOU ALL**

 **SparkyGurl**


	41. Proposal (Jonnie)

It was a normal day in Auradon and Lonnie had just got home from work. She kicked off her shoes and settled onto the sofa, before pulling out her phone and scrolling through InstaRoyal, looking at the pictures of baby Lia, who was born a mere week ago, and pictures of Evie and Doug captioned 'love my hubby so much' and a post Jane had put up of her and Carlos on their honeymoon. She sighed a bit sadly and closed the app before turning on the TV. Half-way through the show she was watching, her phone rang. The name 'Jay xx' flashed on the screen.

"Hey, babe." She said, answering the phone.

"Hey. I need to talk to you about something. Are you home?"

Lonnie nodded before realising he couldn't see her. "Yeah."

"Okay. I'll be round in half an hour, okay?"

"Okay." Lonnie replied. "Love you."  
"Love you too." and with that, Jay hung up.

Lonnie put the phone in her lap and began thinking for a while. He needed to talk to her. Those were not words you want to hear in a relationship. Was he breaking up with her? No. This was Jay. If he was breaking up with her, he wouldn't have bothered say 'love you'. Satisfied that he wasn't breaking up with her, Lonnie began thinking of things he could possibly need to talk to her about. Half an hour later, as promised, there was a knock on the door.

Lonnie got up and answered it to see Jay standing there, smiling.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." Lonnie replied, "Come on in." She opened the door so that he could get in. Jay walked in and sat down on the sofa, like it was his own home, which it pretty much was, with how much he was over. He'd even crashed on the sofa a few times.

Lonnie headed over to the open kitchen. "Want something to drink?" She asked, putting on a pot of coffee.

Jay nodded. "Yeah. Coffee would be great." he replied, smiling at her.

Once the coffee was done, Lonnie poured out a cup for him and brought it over to him.

"So..." She began once he took a sip. "What did you want to talk about?"

Jay regarded her before taking a deep breath and put his cup down. "I just wanted to..."

"Yes?" Lonnie prompted.

"Have an excuse to see you?" Jay said, although it sounded more like a question than a statement.

Lonnie gave him a disbelieving look but decided not to push it. She'd learnt the hard way that pushing Jay could lead to some problems as he was hotheaded and defensive, meaning he'd get angry easily when pushed.

So instead, Lonnie just settle herself down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Jay's arm automatically went around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Lonnie closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. They sat like that for a while, enjoying each others presence, hearing nothing but each others breathing and the ticking of the kitchen clock.

"Hey, Lonnie?" Jay finally said, breaking the silence.

"Hmm." Lonnie asked, not opening her eyes and burrowing closer into him.

"I...uh." He took a deep breath. "I do have something I want to tell you."

Lonnie opened her eyes and sat up looked at him expectantly. "Yeah?"

Jay didn't say anything, just reached into his inner pocket a pulled out a box. He opened it slowly to reveal a ring. It was a single clear-cut diamond on a simple silver band. Lonnie put her hand over her mouth in shock, a tear forming in her eyes.

"Lonnie, I know how long you've been waiting for this, no matter how hard you've tried to hide it, and I know that I've been too afraid of commitment to do it, but after a lot of thinking, I realised I'm no longer afraid. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Lonnie Li, will you marry me?"

Unable to hold them back any more, Lonnie bursts into tears of happiness. "Yes." She whispers. "Yes, yes, yes!" She threw her arms, accidentally knocking him onto his back. Jay laughed and hugged her back with one arm as he was still holding the ring in the other hand. Lonnie sat back, laughing as well as the tears continued to stream down her face. Jay sat back up and took the ring out of the box. Putting the box to the side, Jay took Lonnie's hand and slipped the ring over her ring finger.

"Perfect fit." She murmured. Jay nodded, not letting go of Lonnie's hand. Lonnie put her other hand on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Jay replied, placing his free hand on her waist. He leaned in slowly and took Lonnie's lips with his own.

This was the start of a new life together. The start of something that would last a lifetime.

 **Here you go MelMartinezXOX. I hope you enjoyed and I did it justice.**

 **Also, guys, please check out my new book called Simply Complicated! I wrote it with Grace and we'd love it if you could check it out!**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes they do. And I like their daughter too.**

 **Owllover34: Don't worry, they'll be open again soon. And thanks for the luck. I'm going to need it XD**

 **Grace: Yes he is. Aww thank you my perfect Auradonian.**

 **BilliaB: Thank you!**

 **Eli201: Jay'll learn to live with it. And she really is a cool mom, isn't she?**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	42. Meeting Each Other (Bal College AU)

The weather was warm and within Auradon College, it was the normal, day-to-day hustle and bustle. Mal pinned her purple hair back slightly with a hair clip and slipped her leather jacket on. She was running late for class, not that she was too bothered by that, so she grabbed her books and headed out towards her lecture hall. Her class would start soon and if she was quick enough, she might be able to not be much more than five minutes late. She may not care about getting to class on time but she does want to pass so she doesn't want to be too late.

Apparently the world was against her that day. She was trying to make her way through the halls when someone crashed into her, causing her to fall and drop her books and papers.

"Ow!"

"I am so sorry!" A male voice said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Mal opened her eyes to see a pair of hazel-green eyes looking at her worriedly. She groaned. "You got that right." She began gathering her books only to see her drawings had scattered everywhere. The boy who crashed into her began gathering them up, saving them from the feet of people who didn't see them. He looked at them as they stood up.

"Do you mind?" Mal demanded, taking her drawings back.

"Sorry. Those are really good." The boy complimented.

"Thanks." Mal replied as she put them back in her book. She knew she should have brought a bag.

"I'm Ben." The boy said, holding out his hand. Mal shook it.

"Mal."

Ben smiled. "That's a pretty name."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "It means 'bad' in several languages. Not something I'd associate with 'pretty'."

Ben laughed and went to reply when a very girlie voice interrupted. "Benny Bear!" a girl materialised next to them, wearing a pink dress, high heels and looking very distressed. "You can't do this to me."

"Audrey, leave me alone. Please. Look, I told you, I'm still happy to be friends." Ben said, turning to the girl.

"But Benny Boo-"

Ben cut her off. "I'm sorry Audrey. But you deserve to be with someone who can appreciate you more than I ever could."

Audrey pouted and harrumphed before turning on her heel and walking away.

Mal raised an eyebrow. "Crazy ex-girlfriend?"

Ben laughed and nodded. "I guess you could say that. I only literally just broke up with her. Kinda why I was in a rush."

Now it was Mal's turn to laugh. "You were running after breaking up with someone?"

"She's so clingy." Ben replied. "And I guess I only just realised I never really liked her. It was a fleeting crush because she was attractive."

Mal nodded. "Fair enough. As much as I'd love to stick around and listen to a stranger's problems, I'm late for class. So, bye!"

"Bye." Ben said, waving. He shook his head. Why had he told Mal about Audrey? She was right. They were strangers. But then again, she had technically asked. Mal. That was a pretty name, no matter what she thought. He wondered if he'd ever see her again.

Well, as fate would have it, he did. A mere week later. He walked into his first class of the year and sat down, pulling his new text book from his bag. Suddenly, another book was plonked next to him. He turned to see Mal sit down on her seat.

"Hey." She said, with a small smile.

"Hey." Ben replied.

"You're the only person in here I recognised, so I hope you don't mind." She said, as she grabbed a sketchbook from her bag as well as a pencil. Her hand began moving quickly over a page, drawing lines here and there. Ben wasn't sure what she was drawing and wasn't able to find out as the lecturer came in and the class began. After class, while they were packing away, Ben turned to Mal.

"So, any more classes today?" He asked.

Mal shook her head. "No. Today is the only day I have one class."

"Want to grab a coffee?"

Mal regarded him for a second. "Sure. Why not?"

Ben grinned widely. "Great. Meet you in the entrance hall in fifteen?"

Mal thought about for a second. "Okay, I'll be there."

And with that, they parted ways and headed to their various dorms. Mal stared in the mirror for a few seconds before grabbing her dragon wing hair-clip and pinning it in her hair to make herself a little more presentable. She also swapped out her normal leather jacket for her dark denim one. Satisfied with how she looked, Mal grabbed her small backpack which contained her wallet, keys, phone and sketchbook before running out.

When she reached the entrance, she realised she was five minutes early. Apparently she wasn't the only one. Ben was sat down, waiting patiently for her.

"Hey." She said, approaching him.

"Hey." He replied, getting up. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They walked out and headed to the nearest café, talking about their lives.

Mal learned that Ben's parents were the CEO's of several big businesses and he was supposed to inherit them if they believed he was able enough. They had a lot of faith in him and believed he would be able to do it. She also learned that his middle name was Florian ("Do your parents not like you or something?") and that he was a bookworm.

Ben learned that Mal was the daughter of a criminal. She didn't elaborate any more and Ben didn't push it. He also learned that her middle name was Bertha ("Oh, wow. That's worse than Florian. And that's saying something.") and that she'd gotten into Auradon College because of a scholarship.

Mal was laughing about a funny story Ben had just told about his friends Chad and Doug and about how they'd been so scared once during a horror movie that they were hugging each other.

"Okay, okay. So, tell me about your friends."

Mal smiled. "Well, there is four of us. We used to hang out all the time in highschool. My best friend, Evie, has gone on to do fashion. She's a brilliant fashion designer. She designed my prom dress. And then there is Jay. He's a brilliant football player. He got a scholarship to go play football. We were so proud of him. And finally, there is Carlos. He is a boy genius. He's a year younger than us but he is so smart. Like major tech wiz. But he also has a serious love of dogs."

Ben nodded. "Wow. Your friends sound awesome. Tell me a memory of them."

Mal thought about it for a second. "Well, there was this one time after school, we just piled in my car and drove off. We spent the whole time singing and being silly. We ended up driving to the beach. Evie pulled out her phone and began playing music on it. Because we were the only ones on this tiny beach, we began dancing. We were so in-sync it was scary but amazing."

"You dance?" Ben asked.

"Not often, but I can. You?"

Ben shook his head. "Not really. I can dance but I don't look amazing when I do it."

Mal laughed. "Oh, I'd love to see that."

"Maybe someday." Ben winked.

Mal checked her watch. "We'd better get going. It's getting late and I have work to complete."

Ben nodded. "Of course. Let me just go pay."

Mal began pulling out her wallet but Ben didn't let her, no matter how much she protested. He paid for both of them.

They walked back to the college together and Mal hugged him before departing to her room. After getting over the shock and snapping out of his happy daze, Ben felt something in his back pocket. He realised it was a slip of paper with her number on it as well as money to pay back for the coffee. Ben laughed. Stubborn. He'd better remember that next time. Next time. Would there be a next time? He sure hoped so.

Mal smiled when Ben texted her. It was simple _Hey, it's Ben,_ but it made her smile anyway. There was something about that boy.

It became a weekly thing that they'd meet up in the café after their class together and get to know each other. Between that time they'd sometimes text. Soon, this developed to meeting up almost every day. One day, Ben told Mal something that changed her whole world.

"I really, really like you. As more than a friend." He confessed to her, a month or two after they'd began meeting up. They were taking a walk around a nearby park, their coffee in take-away cups.

Mal fell silent for a bit. "I uh...I think I really like you too. As more than a friend."  
Ben smiled. "So, will you be my girlfriend?"

"I don't know, Ben. I've never had a boyfriend before. I'll probably mess up."

Ben shook his head. "I'm sure you won't. You're pretty amazing."

Mal blushed bright red but nodded. "Okay. Yes, I will be your girlfriend."

Ben grinned wide and hugged her hard. Mal hugged him back, relishing the feeling.

And that was the start of a pretty great relationship. When Evie, Jay and Carlos found out, all three of them felt the need to personally come see this new boyfriend and threaten him. ("That's our best friend. You hurt her, you'll be dealing with all three of us. And trust me, it won't be pretty.")

As it turned out, Ben was right. Mal was a pretty great girlfriend and he found himself falling in love with her over and over again, every day.

 **Hey Grace. Here it is! I hope I didn't disappoint.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I hope you enjoyed this one as much as you did the last one :)**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yasss JONNIE!**

 **Eli201: I'm not sure if it was his trauma that made him scared of commitment. Some people just are. But yassss. Jonnie is amazing!**

 **SusieBeast: Awwww. Thank you! Trust me. More are coming.**

 **Owllover34: YES THEY ARE! Thank you!**

 **Love you all!  
SparkyGurl**


	43. Insecurities (Janelos)

The sun was slowly beginning to dip in the horizon and a soft orange glow spread over the land. The birds could be heard, calling out to one another softly as they settled down for the night and shops began turning on their lights as it was too dim to see inside any more. Students of Auradon Prep began to drift inside as the chilly night air began to set in.

One of the students, a small girl with long, curly brown hair, lay on her bed, cuddled up to her boyfriend, a short boy with white hair and freckles, who was sat up running his fingers through her hair with one hand and with the other he was typing some stuff on her computer.

"And done." He said, closing the blue laptop and putting it on the bedside table. "That should work properly now."

Jane smiled, not moving her head from his lap."Thanks Carlos. You're the best."

Carlos smiled down at her as he played with her hair. Exhausted from a day at school, the peace of just being together was all they needed.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

"Jane, I'm going out tonight." Audrey said, walking in. "Hey Carlos."

Carlos waved, feeling a little awkward, while Jane just sat up.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked, curiously.

"Under 18s Nightclub." Audrey replied, grabbing some clothes from her closet. "Which one?" she held out two different dresses, one was a baby pink bodycon with a sweet-heart neckline and the other was a strapless dress that fell to the knees with a baby blue top and a baby pink skirt that seemed to fade together in the middle.

Jane looked back and forth between them, unsure. "Uhh..."

"Strapless." Carlos spoke up.

Audrey raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you know of fashion?"

Jane smiled. "He's really good at fashion."

Carlos shrugged. "When your mother is Cruella De Vil and your first friend is Evie, you pick some stuff up. Anyway, the strapless makes you seem a bit more fun."

Audrey nodded appreciatively and headed into the bathroom. She came out a little while after, wearing the dress and a silver sequence crop-caridgan along with some pink strappy-heels.

"Yes, no?" She asked as she twirled around.

Carlos nodded appreciatively. "You look great. Have fun."

Audrey smiled at the couple and grabbed her silver clasp before tottering out.

Jane smiled and cuddled closer to Carlos, who had slid down slightly so that he was half lying down, half sitting. Jane had her head on his chest and he had his arm around her shoulder.

"I think you're growing on her." she mumbled, a little sleepily.

Carlos laughed. "Well, I suppose fashion is the way to a girls heart." He joked.

Jane smiled as well and then let a small yawn.

Carlos grinned at her. "You're exhausted. Go to sleep." he commanded gently.

Jane nodded and settled more comfortably on him. "Okay." Her eyes drifted closed and Carlos watched her sleep for a little before gently moving himself from under her, trying not to wake her. She stirred slightly, but then she just rolled over and carried on sleeping. Carlos smiled at his girlfriend, who looked so at peace with the world when she slept. He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and wrote a quick note for her to find when she woke up.

The next day, Jane woke to see a cute little note, full of things that made her heart flutter. She put it in her small box in which she'd collected all the notes he'd given her, as keepsakes. Audrey, who had come back from the under 18s nightclub just before one in the morning, groaned as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, Jane." She asked, her voice sleepy.

"Yeah?" Jane asked as she began pulling some clothes out of her wardrobe to change into.

"If Carlos is so good with fashion...why do you dress like that?"

Jane stopped and hesitated before turning around. "Because I like dressing like this. And Carlos likes the way I dress. Says it makes me uniquely me."

"That's what they all say." Audrey muttered before pulling herself and out of bed and slipping on her silk dressing gown and pink fuzzy slippers.

Jane hesitated for a bit again before shaking it off and going into the bathroom. She headed for breakfast but she couldn't put notice the girls, all wearing the latest trend, with their skirts short and waistlines pulled in. Jane suddenly became self conscious of what she was wearing and fidgeted with the necklace around her neck. It was half a broken heart, one of a pair. Carlos had the other. Together they made a whole heart. Carlos had bought it for them and neither of them ever took it off. No matter what other necklace she was wearing, Jane was always wearing that one. And even though he hid it under his shirt, Carlos never took his off either. But he always hid it under his shirt. Does that mean he was ashamed of being associated with her. No. That's silly. Carlos was the one who bought these in the first place. He only hides it because Jay teases him about everything. Jane tried to reassure herself but she kept feeling insecure about everything. Why? There was nothing to be insecure about. Or was there? Audrey was right. Carlos knew a lot about fashion, and yet, his girlfriend is one of the least fashion forward people there is. How could he be around her?

A little voice in her head told her _Because he's not shallow and loves every bit of what makes you you. Fashion and all._ But the insecurities overpowered this thought and Jane began over thinking and over analysing everything.

"Hey!" Carlos said, approaching her with his breakfast tray, a little while after she'd sat down herself.

"Hey." she mumbled back, pushing her eggs around her plate as she thought.

Carlos looked at her concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, sitting down next to her. "You still look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?" he put his hand over hers as he spoke, searching her face.

Jane glanced at their joined hands and nodded, still pushing her eggs around. Carlos looked worried and squeezed her hand. "Hey, it's Saturday. Why don't you go on and get a couple more hours of sleep?"

 _He just wants to have an excuse to get rid of you,_ a voice in Jane's head. She tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go. She smiled at him weakly.

"Yeah. Sure." She mumbled. "I suppose I should."

Carlos squeezed her hand again and stood up, his breakfast abandoned. He held out his hand to her began to lead her out of the cafeteria when she took it. He didn't let go of her hand the whole way there. The voices in Jane's head began fighting, the positive ones slowly becoming stronger. Carlos gave her a quick kiss before leaving, saying that as much as he'd love to stay, he promised Jay that he'd play video games with him. Jane nodded and went inside, waving to him as she closed the door.

Audrey was still there, putting together the final touches to her outfit.

"Make me beautiful." Jane didn't know where that had come from but she knew it had left her mouth. Audrey looked over at her, looking shocked.

"What do you mean?"

Jane shrugged. "I want to be beautiful. I'm done being plain Jane."

Audrey got over her shock and clapped. "A makeover? Yay!" She grabbed Jane and she spent the whole morning recreating Jane.

When they were done, Jane looked in the full length mirror. Her hair was straightened and it fell down her back. Her make-up was darker and more obvious than usual, with bright red lipstick, and smokey-eye. She was wearing a blue a-line dress with a bateau neck line and cap sleeves. It was very tight around the waist and the heels on her feet were quite pinchy, making it hurt to walk. Jane took a deep breath and turned around to look at Audrey, who clapped and squealed.

"You look amazing!"  
Jane smiled. "Really?"

Audrey nodded. "Now, go show Carlos. Go on." She practically pushed Jane out of the door. Jane nodded and began wobbling towards Carlos's room. She finally managed to get the hang of walking in such pinchy shoes and was able to walk straight for a few steps before she came face to face with Carlos, who was on his way to go check on her.

"Hey." She said, smiling.

Carlos blinked a few times. "Jane?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah. Do you like it?" She asked, fiddling with the hem of the dress.

Carlos looked gobsmacked but managed to stutter out a yes. The truth was, he preferred Jane's other style as that was more her and looked way more comfortable than what she was currently wearing anyway.

"Going somewhere nice?" He asked.

Jane shrugged. "No. I was just coming to see you."

Carlos nodded, looking Jane up and down, trying to take in what he was seeing. She looked gorgeous, of course, (to him, she'd look gorgeous in a feed sack) but it didn't seem like her. He didn't say anything though. He knew Jane used to be quite insecure so he decided to let her be. She'd come around soon enough and realise that she looked amazing in her old clothes or maybe she wouldn't. Maybe she was more comfortable in what she was currently wearing, and if that was the case, he could get used to it and he'd grow to love it very quickly. He loved her, no matter what she was wearing. They walked back to Jane's room, smiling and talking, happy to be together as that was what mattered.

Over a few weeks, Jane continued to wear the clothes so Carlos tried to learn to accept it, although it looked as though Jane was very uncomfortable. She'd often be shifting around her dress or briefly taking her feet out of her heels. And then her attitude changed completely. It started with the sitting. Normally, Carlos and Jane would sit side-by-side, cuddled up, but still just side-by-side. But Jane did something different the other day.

Carlos was just sitting doing his homework in his room and Jane had come in to say hi, like she often did but rather than standing behind him with her arms around him, she'd sat herself on his lap, taking him completely by surprise.

"Ooof." he exclaimed, as she sat.

"Sorry. Did I hurt you?" Jane asked, sitting more comfortably on his lap.

Carlos shook his head. "No you didn't. Sorry, do you mind standing up? I can't do my work with you there."

Jane smirked. "What, am I too distracting?" She asked, shuffling closer to him on his lap.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Jane, what are you doing?"

Jane shrugged. "Nothing I guess." She stood up. "I'll see you later." She leaned down and pecked him on the lips, and waved at him as she left, back to her normal busy self. Carlos looked at the door confused at what just happened.

After that, it was the kissing. Jane began kissing him every opportunity, especially in public, like she was laying claim to him or something. Normally, he wouldn't mind if Jane kissed him more often, but this seemed wrong. It was like, not only had she made over herself outside but inside too. She was becoming a different person. She began to develop a not-caring attitude, even when she was late for things, she didn't seem to care, and was always attached to Carlos, only letting him out of her sight when they were changing for tourney/cheerleading, when they had separate classes and after curfew. Carlos loved her, he really did. But this was ridiculous. She was changing. And it wasn't for the better. And throughout all her changes, she didn't seem any happier. If anything, she seemed slightly more miserable, no matter how bright her fake smile was.

Finally, Carlos snapped. They had been watching a movie in her room when she began kissing him and trying to make out with him. Carlos immediately pushed her off, knowing neither of them were ready to do that as her body language was stiff and forced.

"Jane stop."  
Jane looked confused and a bit hurt, although there was a very small hint of relief there. "What? Did I do something wrong."

"No." Carlos started before correcting himself. "Yes. All of this is wrong."

Jane looked at him, really confused. "What do you mean?"

Carlos sighed. "You've changed, Jane. You've become more and more… I don't even know how to describe it! First the clothes, and then the sitting on my lap, after that the continuous kisses, and finally, trying to push yourself into something you don't want to do! Not to mention, you've become slightly nastier and you've been not caring about anything. This isn't you, Jane!"

Jane opened her mouth, offended. "This is me, Carlos. The new and improved me!"

"You didn't need improving!" Carlos exclaimed, his voice raising. "You were perfect the way you were!"

Jane shook her head. "No I wasn't! I dressed like my mother! I didn't act like a girlfriend, at all!"  
"You were perfect!" Carlos exclaimed again. "You didn't need to change!"  
Jane's tone turned nasty. "Yeah, well newsflash, Carlos. People change. Deal with it."

Carlos stood up and began heading to the door.

"What are you doing?" Jane demanded, fear setting in her voice. What had she done wrong?

"Leaving. Let me know when you find the girl I fell in love with, because she isn't here." And with that, he walked out, slamming the door behind him. As he walked away from her room, he couldn't help it. He broke. Tears began to stream down his face and sobs left his mouth. Taking a few deep breaths, and walked quickly back to his room. As soon as he saw that Jay wasn't there, he fell to his knees and sobbed. He loved her so much. So, so much. But he couldn't do it. She'd changed. It wasn't her. Not any more. Slowly, Carlos's tears stopped and he managed to stagger into the bathroom to wipe his tear tracks away before Jay got back. He looked in the mirror and his face became hard as stone. He wasn't going to break. He got changed into his pyjamas and curled up in bed, all emotions gone. He felt nothing.

The words Carlos said had pierced Jane through the heart. She looked at the time and saw that it was three in the morning. She couldn't sleep, so she got up and sat at her desk. She opened her laptop and stared at her background. It was a silly picture of her and Carlos. She'd been trying to take a selfie for whatever reason, and he'd crept up behind her and photobombed her last second, by pulling a stupid face and jumping in front of her. She'd laughed so hard when he did that. He was always doing silly things like that. She never minded. The silliness showed how comfortable he was with her. Comfortable. If he was comfortable with her, why wasn't she comfortable with herself? She was convinced that he was only faking it so that he wouldn't insult her. After all, he was a fashion expert. So why would he date someone who was old-fashioned in her dressing? _Because he's not shallow and loves every bit of what makes you you. Fashion and all._ Jane put her head in her hands. That voice had been telling her that since she decided to change. But she'd ignored it. And too make matters worse, she thought that he'd like someone who didn't care so much for the rules and who had a bad streak to her. Seeing as he was a VK and all. Tears began to slip down Jane's face. How could she have been so stupid. He loved her. _Her._ He loved her because of who she was and she decided to go change herself because her insecurities took over. Why did she let them control her. That wasn't who she was. She is a strong, confident girl, who loved wearing bows and old-fashioned clothing. She is a cheerleader for the fighting knights and on the planning committee for major occasions. She is an A-grade student who loved reading and animals. She is the Fairy Godmother's daughter and Carlos De Vil's girlfriend. At least, she was his girlfriend. But she'd messed up. She had to apologise to him. She had to tell him how much she loved him. She knew he'd probably not take her back, after what she'd done, but she had to let him know that she knew she was wrong and that she's sorry it took them fighting for her to realise how stupid she'd been. Slipping on her dressing gown and slippers, Jane headed out to the boys dorm, not caring that it was three in the morning.

Jane hesitated before knocking on the door. Both boys were light sleepers and would probably wake up from it. She knew she shouldn't deprive them of their sleep but she also knew that she'd had to get this off her chest, otherwise she wouldn't sleep and would begin to over-think things and back down from cowardice and not apologise. Carlos opened the door, looking exhausted, like he hadn't slept. Maybe he hadn't.

He hadn't. Carlos was wide awake when he heard the knocking on the door. Jay had sat up but Carlos told him he'd get it, so Jay had just rolled over and gone back to sleep. Carlos wasn't sure what he was expecting but a sleep deprived Jane in her dressing gown was not what he was expecting. He raised an eyebrow at her and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"What?" He demanded, in a harsh tone that he regretted the moment it slipped from his lips.

Jane looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I just..." She hesitated. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. You're right. I have changed. I let my insecurities get the better of me and I tried to be someone I'm not in hope that you would like me better."

Carlos went to say something but Jane held up her hand. "Please, let me finish."

Carlos closed his mouth and nodded his head, letting her continue.

"It took us fighting for me to realise how stupid I had been. You loved me because of who I was. Not who I could be. But I forgot that. I kept focusing on how you should be with someone more fashion forward and maybe more VK because I was just boring old, plain Jane."

Carlos looked as though he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

"I shouldn't have let those insecurities overpower me but I did. And I am so sorry. I'm not asking you to take me back. All I'm asking is if you could find it in your heart to forgive me and maybe we can still be friends?"

Carlos didn't say anything for a while, which made Jane hang her head. "I understand." She mumbled, before beginning to walk away. However, Carlos stopped her by grabbing her hand. She looked back at him, looking slightly hopeful as he stared back at her.

"Jane, what brought this on? You haven't had insecurities since before Ben's coronation. What happened?" Carlos asked.

Jane sighed. "It's stupid."

"It caused you to feel as though you had to change. I doubt it's anything stupid."

Jane hesitated before sighing. "Remember the day when we were hanging out in my room and Audrey came in looking for an outfit for the under 18s?"

Carlos nodded. "Yeah, of course. What about it?"

"Well, because you'd shown your amazing fashion expertise, Audrey asked me why I didn't dress more fashion forward."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "She said that to you?"  
Jane nodded. "But, she was just waking up, I don't think she knew what she was saying. Anyway, when I told that you loved my fashion because it's 'uniquely me', she said something like 'That's what they all say.' And it made me begin to think that you'd been lying to me about liking the way I dress, because you didn't want to hurt my feelings. And everything spiralled out of control from there. I don't know why I let it get to me. I'm so sorry, Carlos. I'm such an idiot."

"Jane," Carlos began. "Why didn't you just come to me?"

"I was afraid you'd tell me I was just being silly and laugh at me for having such stupid insecurities."

Carlos's shoulders sagged as he looked at her sadly. "I would never do that to you. If you'd told me, I would have been able to reassure you that I wasn't lying. I genuinely love the way you dress and more importantly, I genuinely love you."

Jane blushed. "I know that now. And I'm sorry I was so silly. I understand if you don't want to see me again. I'll leave you alone."

But when she tried to walk away, Carlos pulled her back. "Jane, I'd probably die if I never go to see you again." He took a step closer to her. "You don't have to change anything about who you are. You are perfect, just the way you are. And I love you so much."

Tears sprang to Jane's eyes. "But I messed it up. You deserve someone who doesn't get insecure over silly things and let those insecurities control her. You deserve someone confident."

"I don't want someone else." Carlos replied. "Jane, I want you."

"But-"  
"No buts." Carlos interrupted. "I still want to be with you. As long as you promise that next time you're feeling insecure, come tell me. Because while we're apart, we may be broken, but when we're together, we're whole, remember?" He asked, pulling out his necklace, which was under his shirt.

Jane stared at it before pulling out her matching one. "Yeah. Of course I remember." She stared at them for a while. "You're right. I should have come to you. I promise in future I will. And I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. You shouldn't have had to go through that. I'm such-"  
Carlos interrupted her by kissing her. "You're not." He said, pulling back. "And it's forgotten. The past is past. Forgive, forget."

Jane looked a little dazed from the kiss. She blinked out of her stupor and smiled at him. "So, you forgive me?"

Carlos nodded. "Of course I forgive you Jane. I love you too much not to."

Jane smiled and a few happy tears slipped down her face. Carlos reached up and wiped them away with his thumb, before pulling her into a hug.

"I've missed you." He mumbled into her hair.

Jane buried her head deeper into his shoulder. "I'm sorry. But I'm back now. I promise."  
Carlos grinned and pulled her even closer to him, holding her tightly as though he'd lose her again if he let go. Jane and Carlos stood in their embrace for a long time before Carlos pulled back.

"You must be exhausted. It's four in the morning. Let's get you back to bed."

Jane nodded. "Okay."

Carlos took her hand and together they walked back to her room. Carlos gently opened the door for her and walked her to her bed. When she removed her dressing gown and slippers, she curled up in her bed and Carlos kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I love you." She murmured.

"I love you too." He whispered back. Looking peaceful and happy for the first time in a while, Jane drifted off to sleep. Carlos grabbed a pencil and the small writing pad, quickly writing a small note, leaving it on her bedside table and left the room, going back to his own bedroom and back to sleep.

Jane woke up the next morning to see Audrey already gone and a note on the bedside table. She immediately knew who it was from and grabbed it. _I love you Jane Fairy. You don't need to change anything about you, ever. Just be who you are and don't let anything that anybody else define you. Be who you want to be._

Jane smiled and put the note in her small box and got up, putting on her blue ruffled dress with a pink bow in the centre and putting on her bow earrings and necklace. She grabbed her nude heels and slipped them on before walking out. She walked out of her room only to literally run into Carlos, who was just about to knock on her door.

"Oof!" She said, stepping back and rubbing her nose.

"Sorry Jane." Carlos exclaimed, looking worried. "Are you okay?"

Jane nodded. "I'm fine." She smiled at him

Carlos smiled back and suddenly took in what she was wearing. "You're back." It wasn't a question.  
Jane smiled and nodded. "And I'm here to stay."

Carlos grabbed her by the waist and swung her around in happiness. He put her down and kissed her softly.

And Jane was very much there to stay. Sometimes her insecurities crept up on her again, but she always talked to Carlos, who was immediately able to reassure her that she had nothing to be insecure about because she was the most amazing person on the face of the earth.

With Carlos by her side, Jane realised that she didn't need to fit anyone else's image of her. As long as she was happy with who she was, that was all that mattered.

 **Here you go Riles16. I really, really hope you enjoyed this one. I wasn't wanting to cry while I was writing this. Definitely not…**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you!**

 **Grace: I am so glad you enjoyed it. It means a lot to me that you did.**

 **Owllover34: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.**

 **Eli201: You rock too! Thank you, you're such a sweetheart.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Yes, they are. They are always meant to be.**

 **SusieBeast: I agree, someone should definitely continue. Are you volunteering *wink wink* And yass. Bal is awesome.**

 **Kate cheese: Your welcome! And thank you! It makes me so happy that people enjoy my work.**

 **Maniey: I'm so happy you loved it!**

 **I love each and everyone of you amazing readers!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	44. The Egg (Bal)

It started with the eyes. Her eyes started glowing randomly for no apparent reason. They presumed it was a side effect of being part faery and being pregnant but they couldn't be sure. Normally, it died down after about a minute or so but no today.

Mal stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes had begun glowing a few minutes ago and they still weren't going away. She sighed in frustration and just then, Ben walked into the bathroom.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at her concerned.

"They're not going away." Mal grumbled.

Ben saw what she was talking about and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." He reassured her.

Mal nodded. "Yeah, probably." She sighed and looked at her belly, which was still flat. "You're causing some problems little beasty." She mumbled. "We can't wait to meet you though."

Ben smiled and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly, on top of hers.

"It'll be fine. I'm sure the eyes is just a phase. Like morning sickness." Ben said.

Mal nodded. "Yeah. You're right."

Ben took her hand and they left the bathroom, going for a walk with just the three of them.

Ben and Mal talked about the baby the whole time. They wondered what the baby would look like ("I think your hair and my eyes would look amazing." "What, you don't want them to have bright purple hair?") and they thought about names (although they didn't really like the names they came up with).

Just as they were about to head back, Mal fell to the ground in a cry of pain.

"Mal? What's wrong? Is it the baby?" Before she could answer, wings sprouted from her back. Massive wings. Dragon wings. Ben backed up in shock. "Mal?"

Mal looked at him, her green eyes glowing brighter than before and flew into the sky, turning into a dragon in the process.

"Mal!" Ben called after her. With no hesitation, Ben ran to get his scooter and follow her. She wasn't too hard to follow (I mean, she was a massive dragon) so he was able to keep up. She settled down onto the mountain and disappeared into a cave. Ben parked his bike and began climbing up the mountain. It was a rocky terrain and it wasn't easy but Ben managed. By the time he got up there, Mal was sitting in her human form, eyes back to normal. In front of her was a massive golden egg.

"Mal?"

Mal looked up. "It's ours." was all she said before looking back at the egg. It was a bit bigger than a loaf of bread and looked much heavier.

"Ours?" Ben panted, confused.

"It's our baby." Mal elaborated.

Ben cocked his head and approached the egg. He crouched down next to it and picked it up. "Our baby?" he asked, holding the egg delicately.

Mal nodded and took it from him. She removed her jacket and wrapped it around the egg.

"We have to take it with us. An egg can't hatch without it's mother."

"When will it hatch?" Ben asked. He was sure that when a dragon laid an egg, it was only a few months until it hatched.

"Nine months, of course. If it's on time. It's part mortal." Mal explained.

Ben nodded and together they began to make their way down the mountain and back to Castle Beast.

They looked after the egg until it was ready to hatch, hiding it from other people as it was too weird to deal with. Amazingly, no one questioned Mal's lack of a bump.

Finally, the egg began to hatch. Both Ben and Mal stayed with it the whole time, waiting.

When the top broke off, a bright light and a dragon call came from within knocking Ben and Mal back and-

Mal woke up, sitting up, panting. She looked around. There was no egg. It was a dream. She'd only just found out she was pregnant and she'd had break down. Ben helped her and comforted her.

Mal looked over at her sleeping husband, looking so peaceful and unaware of anything strange. Mal smiled at him, lovingly.

WHACK!

Ben sat up. "Wasgoinon?" He said, quickly, half asleep.

Mal put the pillow under head again and settled down. "I was having weird dreams because of you."

 **Here you go Guest (6/12/2017). So probably not what you were expecting but I hope it's okay.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Eli201: Don't worry, I was too.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Roommates not best friends. And yassss. Janelos is life!**

 **MirandaAnnette144: Awww thank you. You're so sweet. They're my favourite paring too! I was singing 'Rotten to the Core' while I wrote that bit too** **XD.**

 **Grace: Thanks love! Love you too!**

 **Riles16: You're very welcome. I am so glad you loved it.**

 **FlatFox: Thank you so much**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: I'll come cry with you.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	45. Duchess Talks

The graduation ceremony was upon them and all of Auradon was going to Auradon Prep to see the students graduate. The wand was transferred to Fairy Godmother's office until after the ceremony, so that she could use it to bless the students who were about to enter an entirely new world.

Jane was in the office, admiring the wand. It was beautiful but she didn't dare go near it, after what happened last time she did. She regretted ever being so shallow. Mal took the blame upon herself but Jane still was ashamed of believing that she needed to be beautiful for people to like her.

She continued to admire the wand from a distance, it's intricate details making it beautiful and the power it radiated being so strong, especially to Jane as she would inherit it when her mother passed away. The thought scared her a little, knowing she was to be the next Fairy Godmother, unless they find a more suitable candidate, of course.

While Jane studied the wand, the door suddenly flew open. Duchess came bounding and yapping in, jumping around. Jane tried to stop her but she was too fast, even if she only had three legs. Carlos came racing in and tried to grab the beagle.

"Duchess, here girl!" He was calling out as he ran after her. Duchess ran towards the stand where the wand was under the glass of the enchanted rose bell jar. Carlos ran after her, accidentally hitting the stand.

"Carlos, watch out!" Jane cried out, surging forward to catch the wand, which fell. Carlos caught the jar before it smashed and Jane managed to take a hold of the wand. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as she felt a surge of power and saw the magic fly from the wand. It headed straight for Duchess and hit her in the chest.

"Duchess!" Jane and Carlos both ran forward to go check on her, Jane still holding the wand.

"Ow."

Carlos and Jane blinked and then Carlos groaned.

"Great. Another talking dog."

Jane looked at him and they stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out into laughter.

"Oh dear. One is hard enough." Jane said, once she stopped laughing.

Carlos nodded. "Yep. There's probably a way to reverse this, right? We can use the wand."

Jane shook her head. "With my magic? Not happening." She took the bell jar from Carlos and put the wand back.

"Let's get out of here. You coming, Duchess."

"Okay. Come on, let's run!" And Duchess rushed out of there again.

Jane and Carlos exchanged looks before racing out to follow Duchess.

Duchess finally stopped when they got to Jane's room.

"That was fun! What's next?" Duchess asked, bouncing up and down.#

Jane looked at Carlos desperately, unsure of what to say or do. Carlos shrugged.

"Just treat her like you normally would, but more human." Carlos said.

"What?"

Carlos chuckled and turned to Duchess. "Let's go in. Come on." He opened the door and Duchess plodded in, going straight to her bed. Jane looked at Carlos curiously before entering the room herself. Carlos followed, closing the door behind him.

Jane stared at Duchess before turning to Carlos and whispering. "What are we going to do?"

Carlos looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Jane gave him a look. "Duchess."

"What about her?"

"She talks, Carlos. What am I supposed to do about that?"

Carlos shrugged. "Accept it."

"Accept it? Why?"

"Because having a talking dog is actually pretty great. She already knows things about you that no one else does. And she can give you advice when you don't know who else to turn to."

Jane looked at him curiously. "It's not like I can tell her any secrets though. She'd go blurting it out."

Carlos laughed. "She was hit by wand magic. She didn't eat a truth gummy."

Jane thought about it for a second and her shoulders sagged. "Is it so bad that I just wanted a normal dog?"

Carlos smiled sympathetically and took her hand. "Duchess has never been a normal dog, Jane. Besides, not much will change. They just become more of friend than they used to be."

Jane nodded. "I guess so."

Carlos put his arm around Jane. "Why is this really bothering you so much?"

Jane looked down at her hands. "I'm ashamed."

Confused, Carlos furrowed his brow. "Of having a talking dog?"

"No. It's not the talking thing. Well, it sort of is. Her talking is another example of how unreliable my magic is."

Carlos pulled back slightly and gently hooked his finger under her chin to make her look at him. "Jane, it was an accident. You were panicking when you grabbed the wand. Panic can make anyone lose control."

Jane went to answer when Duchess came over to them. She hopped on the bed and sat in Jane's lap.

"Jane, you should listen to Carlos. He's right. Accidents happen. Besides, now Dude won't be so lonely."

Carlos raised his eyebrows. "Dude?"

Duchess hummed in conformation, curling up into a ball on Jane's lap. "Yeah. Dude was getting lonely being the only talking dog. He told me."

Jane began stroking Duchess softly and looked at Carlos, obviously thinking things through.

"I guess having a talking dog won't be so bad..." she said hesitantly.

Carlos shook his head. "It won't. I mean, yes they can get annoying but if it weren't for Dude talking and giving me advice, I wouldn't have been able to ask you out."

Jane raised her eyebrows. " _Dude_ gave you the confidence?" She asked, disbelieving.

Carlos laughed and nodded. "Yep. I needed a pep talk from a dog."

"Don't you mean a _pup_ talk?" Jane joked. Both of them burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, that was bad."

Carlos nodded. "Yeah it was." he smiled softly at her. "But I love you anyway."

Jane grinned at him. "I love you too." She leaned over and gave him a sweet kiss before turning back to the dog on her lap. She lifted Duchess gently and put her down on the floor.

"Should we go give Dude the good news?" Jane asked, looking at Duchess.

Duchess nodded and together the three of them went to find Dude.

Dude was overjoyed and they decided to use it to their advantage and scare everyone by having normal conversations randomly.

Jane and Carlos now both had a talking man's best friend and, just like every friendship, it had its ups and downs. Mainly ups.

 **Here you go DragonEmperor999.**

 **Guys, it's the time you've all been waiting for… REQUESTS ARE NOW OPEN!**

 **However, if my list goes over twenty, I'm closing them again.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: Sorry I disappointed you but thank you! And you have now ;)**

 **xez2003: Aww, thanks!**

 **Eli201: I'm glad you found it funny. That was the aim, lol. And yasss. Bal makes me happy too!**

 **FlatFox: Thanks, lol**

 **DragonEmperor999: I just don't think they are best friends. I think Jane might be best friends with a character we don't know, like someone on the cheer-squad or something. And thank you!**

 **Love you guys and looking forward to seeing the requests.**

 **SparkyGurl**


	46. Perfect Gift (Carlos and Lonnie)

It was a lovely day in Auradon. Sun shining, birds singing, people having fun. Well most people. Lonnie wasn't. She was stressed and desperate. She needed to talk to someone about something but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, she spotted Jane and ran up to her.

"Hey Jane!" she called out.

Jane turned around. "Oh, hey Lonnie. Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. Do you know where Carlos is?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah. In the library. He's trying to work on this new app he's been designing. I just left him, actually."

"Thanks." Lonnie said before heading to the library.

She searched through the library briefly before spotting Carlos who was doing some computer programming.

"Carlos, hey." Lonnie said, pulling up a seat next to him. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"What's up?" Carlos asked, not looking up from his coding.

"I need your help. Desperately."  
Carlos typed in one more code, saved and turned to Lonnie.

"Okay, how can I help you?"

Lonnie bit her lip. "I don't know what to get Jay for his birthday."

Carlos raised his eyebrows. "That's why you desperately needed me?"#

Lonnie nodded. "I know it's ridiculous but I don't know what to get him. And you're his best friend so I was hoping you could help me?"

Carlos thought about it for a second before turning to the computer he was using and shutting it down.

"Okay. What's the big dilemma? Jay likes video games, sports, that sort of thing."

Lonnie pursed her lips. "But I want to get him something meaningful. I feel kinda cheap getting him a video game."

"Well, Jay isn't very sentimental, nor does he care too much about his birthday. So getting him a video game or something is fine."

Lonnie groaned. "I want to get him something else though."

Carlos sighed and rubbed his head. "Okay, we'll go out to town tomorrow and I'll help you look for something."

"You will?" Lonnie perked up, grateful.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Thank you so much, Carlos!" She hugged him quickly before leaving him alone.

So the next day, as promised, Carlos went with Lonnie to town to find a gift for Jay. They went through a lot of shops, Carlos suggesting at least three things from each shop before Lonnie decides that whatever it is she is looking for isn't in there. They were looking through a stack of video games when Carlos finally snapped. "Okay, Lonnie. What is it that you're even looking for?"

Lonnie shrugged. "I don't know, Carlos. All I know is that I don't want to just get him a video game or something."

Carlos muttered something unintelligible.

"Well, what did you get him then?" Lonnie asked, turning to him.

"A video game he's been wanting. It only came out yesterday." Carlos replied. "But he really doesn't care that much about his birthday. You don't have to get him a gift, as long as you acknowledge the fact that it is his birthday, really."

Lonnie shook her head. "No. I need to find something for him. I mean, was there anything he had on the Isle that he'd still want?"

Carlos shook his head. "He didn't even have a bed on the Isle. Auradon gave him the things he wanted and that was a place where he felt accepted."

Lonnie stopped and turned to Carlos. "He didn't have a bed?"

Only then did Carlos realise his mistake. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Don't let on that you know. He'll tell you in his own time."

Lonnie nodded. "What about you then? Did you have a bed?"

"I had a lumpy mattress." Carlos replied. "But I'd rather not talk about it."

Lonnie nodded and fell quiet.

They left that shop, empty handed when Lonnie thought of something. "His love language is words, isn't it?"

Carlos stopped and thought about it. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I think I have an idea." Lonnie said.

"Finally." Carlos exclaimed as he followed Lonnie to where she needed to go.

Once they'd done everything they needed to do to, Lonnie and Carlos walked home, feeling happy that it was over.

"Thanks again for coming with me, Carlos. You really helped."

Carlos smiled. "Any time. Hey, you hungry? Lunch on me."

Lonnie nodded. "I could eat."

So they went to the fast food restaurant and got some good to take out. They ate as they walked home, casually chatting and laughing. They were both laughing at something that happened in practice when they saw Jay.

"Hey Jay." Carlos greeted, "You know your girlfriend here is a pain in the ass."

Lonnie gave him a dirty look while Jay laughed, causing Lonnie to smack him on the arm, playfully.

"Sorry." he mumbled. Lonnie just laughed.

"I may be a pain, Carlos, but at least I don't feed dogs truth gummies."

"Mal was the one holding it!" Carlos exclaimed. "Not my fault she held it too low."

"Your fault she had it in the first place." Lonnie said, playfully. "You needed magic to ask a girl out."

Carlos shrugged. "I got her didn't I?"

"Because your dog took the magic for you." Lonnie replied.

"Don't try and fight it, Carlos. She's got you on this one." Jay said, laughing as he swung his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder.

"As I said earlier, she's a pain." With a fist bump to both of them and quick goodbye, Carlos took off.

Jay looked at his girlfriend. "So, what was that about?"

Lonnie just smiled. "Playful banter between friends. I have something to do, so I'll see you later, k?" She pecked his lips and headed off to her room.

The next day, Jay was woken up by someone's lips being on his. He opened his eyes to Lonnie standing over him, smiling as she pulled back. "Morning birthday boy."

Jay smiled. "I could get used to waking up like that."

Lonnie giggled softly and sat on the bed. "Come on. I want you to open your present."

Jay sat up groggily. "What? Lonnie it's..." he checked the clock. "Seven in the morning on a Sunday."

"I know." Lonnie said simply. Jay decided it was too early in the morning to try and fight her so he sat up.

"One second." Lonnie said. She headed over to the other bed where Carlos was fast asleep and rolled him off.

He landed with an "Ooof."

Sitting up, he glared at Lonnie. "Why?"

"I thought you might want to see Jay's reaction, seeing as you helped me with it." Lonnie said, grinning.

Jay was laughing over at his side of the room. Obviously his girlfriend and best friend got on well and that was fun to watch.

Carlos got up rubbing his head. "You're annoying, you know that right?" he said to Lonnie.

Lonnie laughed. "Oh, I know."

"What is even going on?" Jay asked, while laughing. "Like, seriously guys."

Lonnie shrugged. "Carlos is like an annoying little brother."

"Oh thanks." Carlos muttered.

Lonnie continued as thought there wasn't an interruption. "So I like to annoy him."

Jay shrugged. "Okay then. What did you want to give me?"

"Carlos first." Lonnie said,sitting back on Jay's bed. Carlos glared at her and chucked Jay a wrapped present. Jay caught it and unwrapped it.

"Nice. Thanks man." He said, looking at the video game Carlos had bought him. "I've been waiting for that to come out."

Lonnie smiled as he threw the wrapping paper away and put his video game to the side.

"Well?" Jay asked. Lonnie reached under the bed and pulled out a neatly wrapped package. She handed it to him. He unwrapped it to see a photo frame and in it a picture of a sword and a shield, the sword crossed over the shield. Underneath it said, _You're the Sword to my Shield_.

Jay smiled at it softly looking at it intently before looking up at Lonnie. "I love it." He said, earnestly, looking at her lovingly. Lonnie smiled brightly.

"You have no idea what she put me through before she decided that's what she wanted to get you." Carlos piped up.

Lonnie turned to Carlos, smiling. "Thank you for putting up with me, by the way. I don't think I ever did thank you properly."

"You're welcome, Lonnie. Anything for a friend."

Lonnie and Carlos exchanged smiles before Lonnie turned back to Jay.

"See you at breakfast?" Lonnie said. Jay smiled and nodded, leaning forward and kissing her quickly. Lonnie waved to the boys as she left, going back to her room.

"Your girlfriend is pretty cool." Carlos said, getting up.

Jay smiled. "I know."

Although it didn't seem like it, Carlos and Lonnie became quite close, always insulting each other and pushing each other around playfully. It was all in good fun and no mean comments were taken to heart. They were just those friends who liked to banter. All the time.

 **Here you go DragonEmperor999. I hope this was okay. I figured it would be appropriate to do it as Jay's birthday as it is, in fact, Booboo Stewart's birthday today. Happy Birthday Booboo.**

 **Okay, so I just got attacked by requests (I love you guys, seriously) so if I take a long time to do yours, you are not forgotten. I promise. Grace will be backing me up as she has actually taken it upon herself to write down every requester, so if I forget to do any, she'll be on my back, letting me know.**

 **And the request count is: 18 left (I'll be putting this up every chapter now. Once it hits twenty or above, I'll close the requests until it goes down to zero, to give me some breathing room. I'm only human. There is only so much I can do.)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.**

 **xez2003: Almost, lol. 18 (19 if you include this chapter) in 6 hours.**

 **FlatFox: You really think so? I didn't think that one was much good. I'm happy that you liked it so much.**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad you enjoy them. It means a lot to me.**

 **Grace: Why am I not surprised that it's a request about Lia XD**

 **SusieBeast: Thank you so much. You rock too!**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Awww, thank you! It will be written as one, if you don't mind and thanks for the luck. I'm going to need it.**

 **Owllover34: You know your whole request wouldn't fit in the email that I get sent every time someone reviews? You're nuts. I love it.**

 **Eli201: Aww thanks and don't worry, I don't hate you.**

 **Kate cheese: Thanks for the luck! Going to need and trust me, looking at the range I have, there's going to be a little bit of everything.**

 **malxcarlos4ev: I will do it, however, it will be a friendship one, as all requests that are of a pairing that is not on my list will be portrayed as friendships or enemies. I hope that's okay.**

 **I love you guys so much, and I was laughing so hard at all the enthusiasm. You guys are all nutters and I love it.**

 **LOVE YOU!  
SparkyGurl**


	47. Girl Talk (Jonnie)

It was afternoon in Auradon and students were relaxing after a long day at school. Mal, Evie, Jane, and Lonnie were sat in Mal and Evie's room, having some girl time. It wasn't long after Cotillion and so much had happened that the girls needed a girly day so they all decided to meet up after class and just hang out.

They were sat in a circle and discussing this, that and everything when the topic turned to relationships.

"So Mal. How does it feel to know you have true love?" Lonnie asked, leaning her chin on her hand.

Mal blushed a bit and smiled. "It's an amazing feeling. Like I never have to doubt our love again."

"Awww." The rest of them cooed at her.

"Oh shush." Mal said, before turning to Jane. "So, Carlos, hey? When did that happen?"

Jane smiled and told them about how Carlos waited last minute to ask her out and about how it took him three tries to get her to understand. They'd all laughed at that.

"Evie, any changes with you and Doug?"

"Aside from the fact that he thought I was cheating on him when I went to save Ben, nope."

All the girls stared at her. "He thought you were cheating on him?"

Evie nodded. "Apparently the boys told him I went camping when he couldn't find me and of course he didn't believe them so his first thought was that I was cheating on him."

The girls tittered lightly.

"Okay, come on Lonnie, fess up." Mal said, turning to her.

"What?" Lonnie looked confused and slightly scared.

"We've all talked about our love lives. What about you? Anyone special?"

Lonnie shrugged. "Not really. I mean, does my sword count?" She joked.

"Come on, Lonnie!" Evie exclaimed. "There has to be _someone_. Anyone?"

Lonnie pinched her lips together before sighing. "Okay, fine. But this does not leave this room, okay?"

All the girls nodded and promised. They all leaned in as Lonnie took a deep breath. "I kinda like...Jay."

Jane and Evie gasped in delight, while Mal raised an eyebrow.

"Jay? Really?" She asked, slightly disbelieving.

Lonnie nodded. "I mean, he's sweet, he's kind, he's fair, he's protective, he fights for what he believes in, he-"  
"Okay, we get the point." Mal laughed. "That's my brother you're talking about there."

The others girls laughed as well.

"Why don't you ask him out?" Jane inquired.

Lonnie shook her head. "No way. The guy's such a flirt. He'll think I'm just another one of the girls who fawn over his every move."

Jane, Evie and Mal exchanged glances.

"We'll help you." Jane said, patting her hand. "I'm sure there is something we can do to show your not just another girl."

Evie and Mal both nodded in agreement, causing Lonnie to smile.

"You guys are the best." She said, before pulling them all into an embrace.

They broke from the embrace and changed subject, moving on.

Jay stood outside the girls dorm, his face white in shock. Carlos and Ben both had their eyebrows raised high. Ben gestured for them to keep walking. Once they were out of earshot of the girls, Carlos turned to Jay.

"Lonnie likes you, man." He said, grinning. "Really likes you."

Jay looked a little shaken up but he nodded.

"You okay?" Ben asked, concerned for his friend.

Jay nodded. "She thinks I'd think of her like all the other girls." He muttered, as though he'd forgotten the guys were there.

Carlos and Ben looked at each other confused.

Jay shook his head and looked at his friends. "Wanna go get some pizza?"

The two boys nodded and headed out to the pizza place just off campus. Jay seemed to be his normal self, but if there was too long of a silence, he'd fade for a few seconds, looking as though he was on a completely different planet before returning to earth.

On their way back to their dorm, after bidding Ben goodbye, Carlos looked at Jay, confused and concerned.

"Why is the Lonnie thing bothering you so much?" Carlos asked as he opened the door to their dorm.

"Lonnie? Who said anything about Lonnie? I don't like Lonnie." Jay said, quickly.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "No one said anything about liking Lonnie."

Jay looked down and huffed. "I can't seem to get what she said out of my head."

"About liking you?" Carlos asked, as he shrugged off his jacket.

Jay nodded. "That. And me thinking that she's just another girl. I mean she's not. She's so much more than that."  
"Someone call the police, Jay is talking about his feelings." Carlos joked.

Jay threw a pillow at him in annoyance. Carlos caught it and put it down. "Okay, sorry. But what do you mean she isn't just another girl?"

Jay raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you seen her? She's everything. She's funny, smart, brave and she kicks serious ass."  
Carlos nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. But obviously not the way you have."

Jay sat down on his bed, head in his hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I find myself wanting to spend more time with her than any girl I've ever met. I'm always trying to make her smile, always wanting to hear her laugh. I find myself almost aching to be around her."

"Someone is in looooove." A voice came from Carlos's bed.

"Dude!" Carlos exclaimed, looking at his dog. "Seriously? Trying to have a serious moment here."

"I'm not in love." Jay denied.

Carlos shrugged. "I think you might be. Or you at least like her as a lot more than a friend."

Jay rubbed his face. "This is stupid. I feel ridiculous."

"Liking someone can do that to a person." Carlos agreed. "Why don't you ask her out, then?"

Jay shook his head. "No. She may think that I think she's just another girl."

Carlos shrugged. "I dunno, man. I think you just need to find a way to show her that she's not."

"How, though?" Jay demanded.

Carlos shrugged. "I don't know. It's always been just one girl for me." he thought for a second. "Although, she would be the first girl you ask out properly. You just flirt with the others."

Jay thought about it for a second before shaking his head. "I dunno. I really don't know."

There was knock on the door, so Carlos got up to go get it. "Oh hey Lonnie."

Jay looked up, and saw that Lonnie was standing at the door.

"Hey. Is Jay here?"

Jay gulped and stood up. Carlos moved from the door and went to his computer.

"Hey." Jay said, trying to look as though he had no idea what she'd been discussing with her friends earlier. Lonnie didn't seem to notice anything different so Jay must have been able to pull it off.

"I'm going to Agrabah tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to join me?"

Jay looked confused. "Uhh...Agrabah? Is that really a good idea?"

Lonnie nodded. "I want you to be able make peace with the place. It's really beautiful."

Jay thought about it for a second before answering. "Uhhh..."

 **Cliff hanger. Lol. Sorry guys. Don't worry, the next one is coming ASAP**

 **Here you go veroandlegolas. I hope you enjoyed it. Your next request will be the continuation of this one.**

 **Request count: 24**

 **Yep, the requests are closed. Sorry guys. Don't worry, I'll keep adding the request counter in every chapter and when it hits zero, the requests will be reopened. Thank you all you wonderful people who have sent requests. You all have such amazing ideas and I can't wait to bring them to life.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you. I'm glad I managed to hit your expectations.**

 **Maniey: You are so right. Talking dogs are awesome.**

 **Lectio In Aeternum: Aww, thank you. You're so sweet!#**

 **FlatFox: I would sympathise with Carlos, but then again, I am a Lonnie when it comes to friendships so...lol.**

 **Grace: Trust me, I really do know it. And thank you! Couldn't have done it without you though.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: (Chapter 31) Great idea, lol. Jk. And thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. (Chapter 32) I'm sure they're not! And thank you. I like smiles. (Chapter 33) I couldn't stop grinning while writing this either. Janelos is my OTP. (Chapter 34) I agree completely. Besides, advertisements are waaaay too long.**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	48. Agrabah (Jonnie)

_(Continues from the end of Girl Talk)_

"Uhh...sure. Why not?" Jay finally replied.

Lonnie smiled. "Well, I better leave you to pack then. We leave at eight tomorrow."

Jay nodded and waved as she left.

"Really?" Carlos demanded as soon as Jay had closed the door.

"What?" Jay began grabbing things he'll need for the trip.

"You two are going to be alone. Are you going to be able to manage that?" Carlos asked.

Jay shrugged. "It's just Lonnie. I can manage a few days with just the two of us."  
"Even though you now know she reciprocates your feelings?"

Jay gave Carlos a look. "Dude, cut it out."

"What did I do?" The dog asked, lifting his head up.

"Not you. Carlos." Jay replied to Dude.

Carlos reached over and stroked Dude's head. "I'm just saying."  
Jay sighed. "Look, it's just Lonnie. Nothing has changed. I'm not going to be acting any different around her than normal."

"If you say so."

Jay threw a few more things in his duffel bag and zipped it up.

The next day came around with a shining sun and a knock on the door. Jay opened it to see Lonnie standing there, smiling, her own duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey." She said, a small smile on her lips.

"Hey. Let's go." Jay replied, lifting his hand in goodbye to Carlos. Carlos returned the gesture and went back to whatever it was that guy did in the mornings.

Lonnie and Jay walked through the quiet campus and climbed into the limo in silence. They didn't really say anything for the first fifteen minutes of the trip as well.

"So...are you sure taking me to Agrabah is a good idea?" Jay asked, finally breaking the silence.

Lonnie nodded. "I'm quite close to Aladdin and Jasmine's son, Aziz. They don't blame you for what your father did. In fact, Aladdin sees a bit of himself in you."

Jay raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How?"

"Street rat. Thief." Lonnie stated. Jay looked down, slightly hurt. Lonnie continued hurriedly, "He sees a lot of potential in you. He was a street rat but now he's the Sultan. He believes that if you work hard enough, you can achieve your dreams, much easier than he could. Especially seeing as he had to win the heart of a princess to get where he is now."

Jay nodded a bit distractedly. "I suppose so."

"You know, Agrabah is really beautiful. It's a big city, full of people and the market place is amazing. It's really warm there as well. You'll love it." Lonnie said, looking at him earnestly.

"Yeah. I might."

Lonnie sighed. "You'll be fine, Jay. Just don't steal anything." She said with a playful wink.

That wink sent Jay's heart pounding but he chose to ignore and just grin instead. "No promises."

Lonnie smiled back and leaned her head into the headrest, looking slightly peaceful. "Besides, they have a great respect for me there. If you stick with me, you'll be fine."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "A great respect for you? How come?"

Lonnie grinned and sat a bit straighter. She told Ben all about the fight between Agrabah and Northern Wei and how, with Ben's help, she was able to make peace between the two regions by bowing and offering her sword.

Jay looked very impressed. "Wow. You're truly incredible."

Lonnie smiled and blushed. "I guess I am. Okay, I've told you one of my adventures. Why don't you tell me one of yours?"

Jay thought about it for a second before telling her about the time he, Mal, Evie and Carlos all went back to the Isle in order to go see what this Anti-Heroes meeting that Carlos had found out about was, where they'd found out about the Anti-Heroes and the objects of power that they needed to go after. He told her about watching Evie face her test before going to the desert, where he had to face his own. He described the vision he saw, of him being Sultan and being the richest man alive. He then explained to her how Yen Sid had given him advice, telling him that friends were the greatest treasure of them all, and that advice came back to him while he was in the vision. He managed to pull out of the vision and took the Golden Cobra before they headed out to Carlos's test and Mal's after that. He described how they had to fight Madam Mim and how Merlin had come to the rescue and sent everybody back to where they should be.

Lonnie was enthralled by the whole thing. She stared at him in amazement for a while before sitting back with a simple "Wow."

Jay shrugged. "That was probably the biggest adventure I had."

"And you thought mine was impressive." Lonnie laughed.

"It was." Jay countered.

"Compared to yours? It really wasn't."

"Don't doubt yourself, Lonnie. You basically single-handily stopped a war."

Lonnie shrugged. "No big deal." She joked. Both of them laughed and began talking about this, that and the other throughout the rest of the trip. They finally pulled up in to Agrabah and Jay nervously got out, Lonnie following on.

People dressed in bright colours were hustling and bustling about the market place, flying carpets were zooming around above them. Jay stood open mouthed, marvelling at the sight of it.

"Wow." He stated.

Lonnie raised her eyebrow. "You think this is good? This is one of the poorer parts of town. Come on, I'll show you around."

Jay allowed himself to be dragged around. The sandstone buildings stood high and proud around the marble castle.

"I understand why my dad wanted this place so badly." He remarked. "It's amazing."

The people were all friendly and kind, greeting them with a respectful bow of the head. They would return the gesture and carry on going. Despite the fact that the buildings were all a simple sandy colour, the curtains, rugs and clothes were all bright shades of many colours. Jay had no words. This place was amazing.

When they entered a market place, much bigger than the one they'd come into, she headed over to a market stall and bought a loaf of bread as well a pack of dates. She broke the bread in half and gave Jay one half. Jay thanked her and began tearing chunks of bread off and chewing slowly, Lonnie doing the same. They walked around town, enjoying the sights and the bread. The next question Lonnie asked Jay caught him completely of guard and left him speechless.

"Wanna date?" Lonnie asked, after she finished her bread.

Jay blinked a few times. "Wait, what?"

Lonnie pulled out the packet of dates she'd bought earlier. "Want a date?"

Realisation hit Jay hard. "Oh! Yeah, I'd love one."

Lonnie opened the bag and handed him one. They sat down on a bench nearby and sat eating the dates, chatting and laughing.

Once the dates were gone, Lonnie scrunched up the bag and threw it into the bin next to the bench.

"So, how was your day yesterday? Did you have guys day?"

"Well, Ben, Carlos and I did. Doug couldn't make it due to band practice, and Chad is still pissed that you're captain. So me, Ben and Carlos headed out for pizza." Jay replied.

Lonnie nodded. "Sounds like fun." she smiled.

"How was that, uh, girly day?" Jay asked tentatively.

"It was fun. You know, classic girls gossiping, doing each others nails and that sort of stuff."

Jay smiled and then decided he couldn't take it any more and blurted out, "I know you like me."

Lonnie went several shades of red. "W-what?"

Jay rubbed his face. "I overheard you and the girls. We were walking by when we heard you ask Mal how it feels to have true love and Ben was curious as to her answer, so we listened in. And then Jane started talking about her and Carlos so he wanted to stay and listen. And then Ben forced us to stay for Evie, because she mentioned it was our fault and then you started talking."

Lonnie blushed a deeper shade of red. "You spied on us?"

Jay looked ashamed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, we did." he took a deep breath and looked up at her. "But I'm not sorry that we did."

Lonnie gave him a look.

"Because if we didn't," he went on, "I wouldn't have found at that you like me. Because I like you too."

Lonnie looked at him, shell-shocked. "You what?"  
Jay smiled. "I really, really like you, Lonnie Li. More than a friend. More than anyone I've ever liked before."

Lonnie opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it again, obviously trying to process what she'd just been told.

"You...you do?" She asked finally.

Jay nodded, looking at her seriously. Lonnie's face broke into a grin. "I really, really like you too."

Jay grinned back. "So, wanna date?"

Lonnie nodded before narrowing her eyes. "You'd better not whip out a bag of dates."

Jay laughed. "Nope. Completely serious. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Lonnie smiled and nodded. "I'd love to."

And that was the start of a beautiful relationship. Although he knew it was bad to spy, Jay was thankful everyday that he did listen in. Because otherwise, he may have never asked this amazing girl, who was the best thing that happened to him, to be his girlfriend.

 **I couldn't leave you guys on a cliff hanger. So here is the second half. Thank you veroandlegolas for these two amazing prompts.**

 **Request counter: 23**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: You're very welcome. I am so glad you loved. I hope you enjoyed this one just as much.**

 **FlatFox: Aww, thank you! I'm happy you liked it!**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks**

 **Grace: No, it wasn't. I genuinely just use that word all the time XD Yay, I know it's good if you're squealing ;)**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	49. Beast Within

It was a normal day in Auradon but tension was high in Castle Beast. The king and queen sat in a meeting that was of vital importance to the future of Auradon. There was a lot of shouting and arguing and they were trying to calm it down. Finally everybody settled down, glaring and muttering under their breath.

"Thank you." Ben said, sitting down himself. "I understand the upset, but this is for the good of-"

Suddenly, someone's phone went off. Mal blushed and pulled her phone out of her clasp, apologising. She looked at who was ringing and turned to Ben who was looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"It's the school." She mumbled. "I have to take this."

Apologising as she left, Mal went out to the hall and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Your Highness," said the voice on the other side. "You need to come in to the school. Lia needs you."

Mal thanked them and hung up. She went back into the meeting and approached Ben who was trying to listen to two of the council debating. They were going around in circles and it was obvious that Ben would have to step in any second now.

"Ben." She whispered. Ben turned his head to her, his eyes slightly wide questioningly, "Something's happened to Lia. I need to go. I'll fill you in. No, stay." She added, when Ben made to get up. "They need you here. I'll call you if it's serious. I promise."

Ben looked like he wanted to protest but shut his mouth when he saw the look in Mal's eye. Mal was right. He had to stay.

She smiled at him apologetically before rushing out, searching in her clasp for the keys to her scooter. Locating them, Mal hopped on, driving to her daughters' school as quickly as possible.

Once she arrived at the school, she parked her scooter and ran towards the entrance. The receptionist bowed her head respectfully, which Mal ignored.

"Where's my daughter?" She demanded, worried.

The receptionist stood up and gestured Mal to follow her, heading to the door behind the desk. Mal followed, worry increasing with every step.

"What happened?" Mal as the receptionist opened the door.

"Someone was teasing Maesi for having magic and Maesi got quite upset." The receptionist explained, "Lia got angry when Maesi came to her, crying her eyes and, well, you'll see." She pointed to a storage cupboard door. "We can't get her to come out of there."

Mal went over to the cupboard and placed a hand on the door. "Lia?"

Mal heard a small sob on the other side. She immediately knew it was the cry of her ten-year-old daughter. "Baby bear, can I come in?"

"No!" Came the sudden shrill cry. "No! You can't see me! You'll hate me!"

Mal's heart broke at those words. "Lia, I could never hate you. I love you too much."

"You will when you see me." Lia cried, "I'm a monster!"

Mal shook her head. "No you're not." She said softly, "Let me in. We can work through whatever is going on together. Because we're a family, remember? I helped Maesi with her magic."

Slowly the lock clicked and the door was pushed open. Mal let out a gasp when she saw her daughter. Her eyes were red with tears but that was not what made her gasp. Lia's canines were longer, the tips visible, jutting from her top lip. Her finger nails had turned into long, black claws and there were horns coming out of her head. Lia covered her face with her hands.

"I told you. I'm a monster." she sobbed.

Mal shook her head and sat down next to her daughter. She pulled her in for a hug. "No, you're not a monster, baby bear. You're not a monster."

Lia just cried into her mother's chest, while Mal stroked her back gently. This wasn't fair on her. She was ten. She didn't need to go through this. It was bad enough their youngest's magic woke up when she was four. But now this? Mal pulled Lia closer. Lia sobbed and sobbed making Mal cry a little bit as well. Still holding Lia to her with one arm, Mal pulled out her phone and dialled Ben's number. It rung a few times before he picked up.

"Mal? How is she? Is she okay?" Ben asked, rapidly.

"We need you." was all Mal could say. This was enough for Ben and he hung up. Mal put her phone away and wrapped her arm around Lia again.

"Shh, shh. Daddy's coming. Daddy's on his way."

Several minutes later Ben burst through the staff room door and saw the open storage cupboard, with two of his girls sitting there. His heart in his throat he immediately spotted the problem. Lia lifted her head when he'd run in, so he saw the fangs, horns and claws clearly. Mal also turned her head to her husband as he began to walk towards them. He sat down and held out his arms to his daughter, who immediately flung herself into them.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm a monster." Ben's heart shattered into a million pieces as the words came from his little girl's mouth.

"You're not a monster, bear. Look at me." Lia obediently lifted her head to look at her dad. "Take deep breaths and think happy things. Okay?"

Lia gulped down some breaths and nodded, closing her eyes. After a few seconds her eyes flung open. "I can't think of anything!" She cried.

"Close your eyes, baby bear." Mal said. She continued when Lia did as she was told. "And think of playing with your friends in the playroom. Think about cuddles with Daddy. Think playing chase and think about that time Mummy fell over at the beach while she tried to catch you when you were eight."

Lia giggled at last one. "That was funny." Her claws began to retract slowly.

Ben carried on from where Mal left off. "Think about Mummy and Daddy having the whole day off to spend with you and Maesi. Think about jumping on Daddy in the morning when he's not waking up. Think about Mummy singing to you and kissing you goodnight."

Lia smiled, her horns slowly shrinking, along with her fangs. Mal and Ben kept feeding her happy thoughts until everything had disappeared completely.

"They're gone, baby bear." Mal said, smiling.

Lia opened her eyes and saw normal finger nails on her hands. She felt her head and her mouth to find everything gone. She smiled brightly and hugged her parents. "They're gone!"

Mal and Ben hugged her back, relieved that she was okay.

"Why don't you tell what happened?" Ben said as they pulled away from the hug.

Lia shrugged. "I was playing on the monkey bars when I saw someone teasing Maesi about her magic. She called her a freak." Lia looked down, ashamed. "So, I got really angry. I roared, but not one of the roars I do at Daddy when we're playing, but like a real roar. And I ran at the girl to go hit her, but then I saw I had grown claws and I felt fangs and the girl..." Lia took a deep breath. "She called me a monster. So I ran. The teachers caught up with me and took me into the staff room but I hid in here. That way, no one had to see me."

Ben and Mal exchanged worried looks before looking back at their oldest.

"I'm sorry Daddy." She said suddenly, "I forgot what you told me. That hitting people is never the answer. I just got so angry I wasn't thinking."

Ben gave her a hug. "While it was wrong that you wanted to hit the mean girl, it was for a good reason. You were defending your little sister and I'm proud of you for that. Just don't use violence. It doesn't ever help and it makes the situation worse."

Mal gave a little disbelieving hum. Ben looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"What?" He demanded, a small smile on his face.

"Oh nothing. I just remember a certain young king who roared pretty much every time someone attacked me, whether it be physical or words." Mal replied, grinning.

Ben chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah. But kids learn from the mistakes of their parents."

"Oh, how wise." Mal answered.

Lia gave a little giggle as she watched the playful banter between her parents. They suddenly heard the pattering of small feet and the door opened to see a few teachers walk in. When they saw the royal family sitting in their storage cupboard, they froze briefly before giving a small bow.

Mal and Ben smiled at them before getting up and each holding a hand out to Lia, who took them happily. Ben let go of her hand and put it around her shoulder, hugging her to his side as they walked out together, a happy family. On their way out, Maesi spotted them and ran up to them. Mal held out her arms, which Maesi immediately ran into.  
"Guess what?" She bubbled excitedly, "I won a prize for writing an awesome story!"

Mal smiled. "That's my girl. I'm so proud of you." Maesi then grabbed her hand and then began to drag her out, excitedly bubbling about riding the scooters.

Lia looked at her mum and sister before looking at her dad, "Why did this happen to me, Daddy? Will it stop?"

Ben sighed. "I don't think so, bear. You'll learn to control it, but you're growing up so your emotions will be all over the place. Don't worry though. I know a bit about being a beast and I think you got the transformation thing from your mother. We'll help you through it. I promise."

"Pinky swear?" Lia requested, holding out her pinky. Ben hooked his around hers.

"Pinky swear." Lia smiled and leaned into her dad slightly more. Ben smiled down at her and then grabbed her helmet from the compartment in his scooter. "Come on let's go home."

When they got home, Ben got a lot of angry phone calls and visits, as he had walked out of a very important meeting but Ben was not fazed. He always told them the same thing, that his family needing him was more important than the meeting. This did, unfortunately, making fighting his corner harder, but he managed. And he'd do it again in a heart beat.

Lia continued to struggle with the transformation thing for a long time. However, once she passed her teenage years and was in better control of her emotions, she could easily control it, unless she got really angry. But she only got really angry if anybody said a word against her family and she was part of the royal family, a family which was held in great respect, that was very rare indeed.

 **Here you go Grace. I hope you love it as much as I did.**

 **Credit to Eli201 for the character Maesi. Sorry if she's a bit OC. But her cameo was so brief, I figured it wouldn't matter that much, if that's okay.**

 **Also, could all you amazing people please do something for me? I have another fanfiction, called Simply Complicated, which I have written with Grace. I was wondering if you guys could read it and review on it for us? We feel a bit discouraged at the moment due to the lack of reviews and you guys are always so sweet, if you could leave just one review on that, it would mean a lot to us. Thank you! I love you guys!**

 **Request count: 22**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes they do. Thanks**

 **veroandlegolas: You're very welcome and I am so happy you love it. And don't worry. There is plenty of Jonnie coming.**

 **Eli201: Yes they are!**

 **FlatFox: Thank you! I was writing and I got a bit bored so I threw it in.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: XD I hope that's a good thing.**

 **Guest: Oh, don't worry about that. There is lots of Bal ahead.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Yes they do. I love it too!**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	50. Something Special (Ben)

Auradon was sunny and beautiful as usual and everything was as it should be. Except, it wasn't. Not according to Ben anyway.

He'd just gotten back from a date with his girlfriend and something about it just felt off. He cares about her, he really does, but something doesn't sit right with him.

Ben greeted his parents as he entered the dining room, giving his mum a kiss on the cheek and nodding his head in acknowledgement to his dad.

"Hey son." Adam greeted as Ben sat in his place next to his father, who was sat at the head of the long table with Belle on his left and Ben on his right.

"How was your date with Audrey?" Belle asked, sweetly.

Ben smiled. "It was good. We had a picnic in her favourite spot, chatted a bit. The usual."

Belle smiled, although it seemed a bit forced, and turned to her husband, her eyebrows raised. King Adam turned his head and the two of them seemed to be having a conversation with just their eyes. Ben had to admit, he was a little jealous over his parents connection. He had nothing like that with Audrey. They could barely have a conversation with their mouths, let alone their eyes. He watched as his mum giggled slightly. His dad must have pulled a face that made her laugh. Or he made a subtle action that indicated some sort of inside joke between the two. Ben pushed his food around his plate for a second, the jealously rising up slowly.

Belle looked at her son, concerned. "Ben, darling? Is something bothering you?"

Ben shook his head and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just not feeling very hungry. May I be excused?"

Belle nodded, a little worriedly though. Ben thanked her and got up, heading out of the dining room and up to his own room, thinking the whole way up. When he got to his room, he sat on the window sill and stared out to Auradon, the kingdom that would soon be his. And yet, all he could think about was the fact that he and Audrey would never have this magical connection that his parents had. Obviously, it was different because his dad was cursed and his mum saved him. But still. He and Audrey didn't have the same thing and it made him a little upset. He wished he could have the same. Why wasn't it the same? Surely you didn't have to save each other to have that special connection? That overwhelming love that seemed to just radiate off the king and queen whenever they were around each other, it could be for normal mortals who don't save each other, right? Yeah, it should do. Maybe he just needs to give it time. Yeah, he decided, give it time and it will happen.

However, as the days went on, and after the proclamation, Ben found himself drifting further and further from Audrey, and feeling really uncomfortable around her, especially as she tends to talk about herself more than anything else. And if it isn't about herself, she's gossiping or trying to convince Ben to change his mind about the VKs.

When the VKs arrived, Ben felt incredibly awkward when Audrey announced that she was his girlfriend, and forced him to hold hands. To make matters worse, she insisted on using the nickname he really did not like in front of the new kids.

Ben only saw his parents on days where they needed to sort some things out for the coronation, as he wanted to still be a normal student so he boarded at Auradon Prep just like the rest of the pupils. But when he did see them, he still felt a little jealous. His parents were so perfectly in love and he just felt trapped with Audrey. He found himself thinking of Mal, the new girl, a lot more than he ever did of Audrey. He was ashamed of this as it wasn't fair on Audrey. Why were relationships so hard? And every time he saw his parents, it was like a stab to the gut. They seemed to have it so easy. Why was it so hard for him? Why couldn't he have that special something with someone else?

And then he found his mind being clouded up, blocking out everything except Mal. He felt less in control than normal. Luckily this didn't affect his performance in tourney but afterwards, he found himself singing for Mal. Audrey tried to make him jealous by kissing Chad but Ben felt completely unfazed by this. He just asked Mal to be his date to the Coronation and she said yes, making him the happiest man alive. He soon asked her on a date, after being able to think of nothing but her for a few days. He took her to the Enchanted Lake, where they got to know each other. He learnt things about her, like her middle name being Bertha (and he thought Florian was bad) and that she was an only child, who was sixteen and had only ever lived in one place (just like him). He had at one point made it a little awkward by telling her that just by looking in her eyes, he knew she wasn't evil. He quickly rectified himself by suggesting they go swimming, although she was insistent on staying on the dry ground so he went by himself. And the moment he hit the water, he felt the cloudiness of his mind be lifted. He swam, as he tried to collect his thoughts. Mal had spelled him. But why? It didn't seem like a villiany thing to do just because you had a crush on someone. But then again, hadn't he just said that she wasn't evil? He wasn't sure what to think, but he snapped back into reality after having swam and sat behind the rocks for a bit, thinking all this through while looking at the wishing rocks, when he heard Mal crying out his name. He began to swim back towards her, when her voice became more panicky and he heard a splash. Suddenly, he saw her flaying about in the water. She couldn't swim! He swam over to her and scooped her up in his arms as he emerged from the water, putting her gently on the pavilion. After he'd made a remark of amazement about the fact that she tried to save him although she couldn't swim, she'd snapped at him. He placed his jacket over her shoulders in hope that it keep her slightly warm and when he asked her if she loved and she replied with not knowing what love feels like, his heart broke. He carefully moved her face to be facing him again and told her, with every truthful bone in his body, that maybe he could teach her. And by the way she looked at him, he knew that maybe it was not like his parents, but Ben had something special with the purple-haired faery who sat in front of him. And now he no longer had a reason to be jealous, because he finally had the love he'd been looking for all his life.

 **Here you go Eli201. I know this is probably not what you wanted, at all, but let's face it. Ben is incredibly level headed and very unlikely to get jealous because he is so trusting and always gives people the benefit of the doubt. He just doesn't strike me as a jealous person. Sorry.**

 **Credit to Grace for the brilliant concept behind this story, which, if you didn't catch it, was basically that Ben was jealous of what his parents had because he didn't have it with Audrey.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Aww thank you. And yes, they really are a beautiful family.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Nope but then again, it's Bal. Since when have they ever been normal?**

 **Grace: Awww, I am so glad you loved it so much!**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Thank you! Yay, hugs! I love hugs! * hugs back ***

 **FlatFox: Thanks!**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	51. Sunrise (Bal)

It was dark out and the stars twinkled above in the night sky, like lights sprinkled across black velvet. It was a still night, almost no sounds, save for the occasional hoot of an owl, a chirp of a cricket or the rustle of leaves in the wind.

The teenage king woke up to his alarm. He'd set it for quite early in the morning, about three, giving him enough time to get ready for what he was going to do. Quietly, he changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Grabbing his letterman jacket, which Mal had returned a few days ago after having kidnapped it for a while, Ben slipped out of his dorm and silently made his way down to the girls dorm. He reached the dorm he was looking for and quietly opened it, slipping in before silently closing it behind him. He smiled as saw his beautiful girlfriend curled up in bed, the silver moonlight shining over her and showing Ben her beautiful face, which was at complete peace. He grinned a little bit as he approached her and heard her soft snoring. Gently, Ben sat down and shook her shoulder ever so slightly.

"Hmm?" Mal's eyes fluttered open and she move her head to see Ben sitting there, smiling.

"Hey." He whispered, a small smile on his face.

Mal sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Hey." She whispered back. "What time is it?"

Ben checked his watch. "Ten past three."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" She demanded, still whispering, letting out a small yawn.

"I want to take you somewhere. Get dressed. I'll meet you in the hall." He didn't give her any time to protest as he kissed her quickly on the cheek and left. Mal stared after him and shook her head at her boyfriend's antics. Quietly, she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Evie, and slipped on a pair of purple jeans, a dragon-wing sleeved t-shirt and put on her combat boots. She grabbed one of her leather jackets and slipped it on as she opened the door, silently closing it behind her.

She raised an eyebrow at Ben who just smirked and took her hand, leading her down the hall and out into the grounds. They headed over to the bike shed where they kept their scooters. Mal was about to head over to her scooter but Ben stopped her and gestured at her to get on the back of his. Mal obliged and sat on it side-saddle while Ben wheeled it out of the shed. Once out, he got on and Mal swung one of her legs over, wrapping her arms around his chest. He started the engine and began to drive, headlight making a path through the inky blackness.

They drove for over an hour, heading further and further away from the school as they went. Mal rested her cheek on his back and tightened her grip around his chest, trying not to doze off as that could be potentially dangerous.

Finally, Ben parked the scooter. He climbed off and held out his hand to Mal, who took it as she got off the scooter. It was still dark out and Mal looked around, trying to work out where they were. Ben opened the compartment under the seat and pulled out a few blankets. He offered his arm to Mal, who wrapped her hands around his elbow and together they headed down a path, Ben a little bit more in front, leading Mal through the darkness that was slowly fading. Mal leant into Ben as she tried to work out the land about her. As her eyes slowly began to adjust to the dark, she heard the sound of waves and smelt the salt. They were at the beach, she realised. Ben stopped and pulled off his shoes and socks, holding them in one hand. Mal followed suit and held them in her right hand while her left clasped Ben's right. They walked through the beach, feeling the sand between their toes. Ben led her straight to the water, where they walked alongside it, the waves lapping at their bare feet. He eventually stopped and put his shoes down, letting go of Mal's hand. He handed Mal the blankets and took one, laying it down on the beach before taking the blankets back and sitting down. Mal obliged and set her shoes aside. Once they were sat, Ben covered them with another blanket. Mal rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's four thirty in the morning. Why are we on the beach at this ungodly hour?" She muttered, her eyes closing.

Ben smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You'll see."

"When?" She murmured. "Because I'm exhausted."

"Half an hour or so." Ben replied, pulling her closer. "Just stay awake a little while longer. You can go back to sleep once we get back to Auradon Prep."

Mal nodded and burrowed her head into the crook of his neck. They sat there, listening to the waves lap at the shore, peacefully enjoying the feeling of each other in their arms. As promised, half and hour later, the sky slowly began to turn into a range of oranges, purples and pinks, with a few reds peaking out here and there. Mal smiled softly as the sun slowly began to show itself.

"It's beautiful." She murmured, grasping Ben's hand, which had slipped from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her even closer.

Ben nodded. "It really is."

Mal didn't look up but she knew Ben was looking at her. "I meant the sunset."

"Well, it pales in comparison the beauty next to me."

"You're such a dork." She muttered lovingly.

"Yeah, but I'm your dork."

Mal smiled and burrowed her head deeper into his chest, hearing the calming beat of his heart. The heart she knew beated for her.

"I never thanked you for saving me." She murmured, looking up at him.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "You've saved me plenty of times before. I think it's about time I'd saved you once."

Mal shook her head. "I don't mean from Zevon. I meant from me. From my mom. From the life I thought I was supposed to live."

Ben looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Mal smiled, thinking back to when they first met. "If you hadn't loved me, if you hadn't shown me what love and compassion and feeling good felt like, I'd still be the daughter of the most evil of them all, trying to live up to this expectation, despite having helped take over Auradon. If you hadn't eaten the anti-love potion when you did and not shown me that you'd actually loved me this whole time, I would be the princess of evil, forever living under my mother's shadow, slowly trying to become more and more evil. But I chose good. And I have you to thank for that. You showed me I could be good. You showed me that love is really amazing. And I don't think there is enough time or words in the whole word to tell you how thankful I am. I'd never be here if it wasn't for you."

Mal's eyes were sparkling with tears as she looked up at her true love, all the love she had for him pouring out of her in that moment.

Ben smiled and reached up a thumb to wipe away a stray tear. He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking it gently, before leaning in and gently kissing her. "I love you." He whispered.

Mal gave him a watery smile. "I love you too."

Ben leaned down and kissed her again, softly, yet full of love and passion. Mal shifted slightly, placing her hand on his arm as she deepened the kiss. They broke apart, both unable to keep the grins off their faces, looking more in love than they'd ever been before. Mal shifted back into her original position and leaned against his chest, Ben's arm loosely around her waist. He dropped a kiss on her head and together they watched as the sun rose further and further, till it was risen and the sky was a bright morning blue.

Ben stood and took Mal by the hand, helping her up. They gathered their shoes and the blankets and slowly made their way back to the scooter, stopping only to put their shoes back on. They kept gazing at each other lovingly, their smiles never fading. Ben got on his scooter and Mal settled herself behind him, holding his waist as they drove off back to the school and their busy lives. But both admitted that it was one of the best mornings of their lives, despite getting up at ridiculous hours in the morning. But then again, their love for each other was ridiculous.

 **Hey Eli201, here's another one of yours. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one so much.**

 **Request Counter: 20**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Eli201: (Chapter 49) I'm sorry this wasn't in the last one. I didn't see you'd reviewed until literally just after I published. And no problem, I love little Maesi. I felt bad for Lia too but she has Bal for parents. She's strong. She'll be okay. (Chapter 50) I'm glad you loved it! I was a little worried, lol. And yasss. Bal are definitely soulmates.**

 **DragonEmperor999: She was spoiled as a child, unfortunately. And they'll be open again when the request counter hits 0. So, getting there slowly.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Thank you! And yes, he finally has all he ever wanted.**

 **FlatFox: Thanks!**

 **Kate cheese: Yes he does and thank you!**

 **Grace: Yay indeed! Awww thank you.**

 **Love each and everyone of you!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	52. Accident (Bal)

It was a slightly chilly day and the wind nipped at the two lovers cheeks, making them slightly pink. Although, they were already red, flushed with anger.

"Look, I know you're struggling Mal, but this is where I draw the line!" Ben was saying, looking at her angrily as they walked down the street.

"It was one night! What's the big deal?" Mal snapped.

"It's in the news! That's the big deal!" Ben replied, raising his voice, "You can't just go out to a nightclub unsupervised! You have a responsibility as future queen to set an example."

Mal huffed in annoyance, before turning to Ben, "Yeah, well guess what? I'm nineteen! I'm in college! I'm going to do stupid stuff. I'm trying to have fun while I'm still free!"

"I get you wanting to have a little fun but this was just ridiculous. You didn't even go with any of your friends. Are you not understanding how this looks?"

Mal glared at him. "Well, I'm sorry I don't fit your ideals as your future queen. Maybe you should go find someone who's more suited to the job!" And with that she turned and began crossing the road.

"That's not what I meant!" He called out as she began to cross. She didn't hear him, the blood in her ears roaring angrily, blocking her hearing from anything else. Including the car that had turned the corner just as she was crossing. The one that didn't have time to stop. She didn't see it until it was too late. However, Ben did.

"Mal!" He cried out and without even thinking, he ran into the road, barrelling into her and causing her to fall out of the way, scraping her hands and knees as she fell on the pavement. She sat up and saw Ben sprawled out on the road, crying out in pain.

"Ben!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet and running over to Ben. The driver got out, heading over to Ben.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I couldn't stop in time! I didn't mean to hit him!"

Mal rounded on her, "Just call a bloody ambulance, will you?" She shouted.

The driver nodded and pulled out her phone and dialled for an ambulance.

Mal sat on her knees next to Ben, who was unable to move with how much pain he was in.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Mal whispered, tears flooding her eyes as she looked him in the eye, trying to think of a spell that might help.

Ben shook his head, which caused him to cry out in pain. Mal choked back a sob and grabbed his hand. Ben looked like he was going to black out from the pain.

"Stay with me. The ambulance will be here in a moment. You're going to be okay." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Mal." Ben croaked out.

"Shush. Save your energy." The sound of sirens was heard and the ambulance raced down the small, practically deserted road that Mal and Ben had decided to walk down so that they could 'talk'. The paramedics hopped out and began getting him onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.

"I didn't see him. I am so sorry!" The driver who hit Ben was bubbling.

Mal turned to her and shook her head. "It's my fault. Don't blame yourself. We won't press charges." And with that, Mal hopped into the ambulance and sat herself next to Ben as they drove off.

Mal's eyes never left Ben the whole time. The paramedics had splinted his leg, which appeared to be broken and done what they could to reduce the pain. Mal didn't say anything as they drove to the hospital. She just silently watched Ben's face, which seemed to be in so much pain. This was all her fault. She was so stupid. She wasn't looking where she was going. She was so angry. Maybe if she had just fought the rebellious mood she was in that night, this would never have happened. Why had she done it? Now, because of her stupidity, Ben was in an ambulance on the way to hospital.

When they reached the hospital, Mal was asked to wait while they tended to Ben. Hours passed and Mal just sat there, unable to do anything but think about how guilty she felt about what had happened to Ben. She couldn't even bring herself to text Evie or Jay or Carlos about what just happened. Finally, a nurse came to her and told her she could go see him now. He had a few broken ribs, a broken leg and he hurt his head pretty bad, but he was lucky as there was no permanent damage. Mal nodded her thanks and headed into Ben's room. Her breath caught when she saw him. His leg was in a cast and raised, and under his hospital gown, a bandage peaked out, obviously having been wrapped around his chest. Mal felt the tears prick her eyes as she headed over to his bedside. Ben looked up as she approached and smiled weakly.

"Hey." He said, his voice hoarse.

Mal smiled as thin smile at him. "Hey." She perched herself on the edge of his bed and looked over at him over her shoulder. Ben reached over and took her hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

Mal let out a humourless laugh. "You're in hospital and you ask me if _I'm_ okay. But to answer your question, no. I'm not."

Ben squeezed her hand and gave her a questioning look. Mal looked away from him before bursting into tears. "This is all my fault." She cried quietly, "If I hadn't walked away and just tried to talk to you properly, you wouldn't have been hit by the car. If I hadn't even been so stupid in the first place we wouldn't have even been out there." Ben grabbed her arm gently and pulled her down so that she was lying next to him. Mal curled up next to him and cried into his chest while he stroked her hair.

"It's not your fault." Ben whispered. "I'm the one who made you angry in the first place. And I should have talked about it with you reasonably rather than just yelling at you. I know you find it difficult to not be allowed to be a normal teenager."

Mal sniffled and let out a small laugh. "Like I was ever a normal teenager."

Ben chuckled a little as well and hissed slightly as movement hurt his ribs.

Mal looked up at him sadly and he just smiled back at her. "It's still my fault." She mumbled.

Ben shook his head. "Maybe so. But it was also mine."  
Mal nodded. "Okay. We'll both take the blame. And I'm so sorry Ben. I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't even think about the fact that the press would report something like that. I wasn't aware what a big deal it was."

Ben nodded. "Yeah, they make things a bigger deal than they are, which means we really have to watch our step. And I'm sorry I had a go at you. I think I was just afraid of what people might start thinking of you and what they might say about you. I don't want you to have to suffer from rumours."

Mal propped herself up on her elbow. "I'm used to rumours. Besides, we're in college now. It can't be that big of a deal, can it?"  
"The press will tear you apart, and trust me, that is worse than some stupid rumour in school."

Mal nodded. "Okay. I'll be more careful. I'm sorry."

Ben smiled and leaned up to kiss her, wincing as he did so. Mal kissed back briefly before pushing him back gently, as she got up. "Okay, mister. You'd better rest. You'll be discharged soon."

Ben nodded and tried to move once more but Mal just put her hand gently on his chest and leaned down to kiss him so that he didn't have to move to do so.

As soon as Ben was discharged, Mal took it upon herself to be his nurse. She helped him to the wheelchair in the morning and would wheel him around wherever he needed to be all day (except for when she had class. Ben wouldn't let her skip that) and would help him back into the bed at night. She always made sure he was taking his painkillers when he needed them and was constantly checking up on him whenever possible. Ben didn't mind. He loved seeing Mal, so her having more excuses to see him just brightened his day. Slowly he began to use crutches instead so he didn't need her as much (to her slight disappointment) and was eventually able to walk properly. The press never got a hold of the whole story and began to make stuff up about why Ben had had to push Mal out of the way but they didn't take any notice. When his legs were strong again and his ribs fully healed, Ben decided to surprise Mal. He approached her from behind while she was at the Home one day, unaware that Ben was standing behind her, and he pulled out a water gun, shooting her with it. She'd looked murderous when she turned around, but the moment she saw Ben standing there with two, she grabbed one and they began to chase each other with the guns just giggling like children. Eventually they abandoned the guns and just chased each other. Ben grabbed her from behind and swung her around. Mal giggled and turned around when he put her down.

"Good to see your legs are in full usage now." She said, placing her arms around his neck.

"What can I say? I had a good nurse." He said playfully, nuzzling her nose.

"A nurse who was the reason you broke them in the first place." Mal replied, looking a bit guilty.

Ben kissed her briefly. "Well, they're all healed now, so it doesn't matter." Mal opened her mouth to protest so Ben decided to take a different course of action entirely.

"You're it!" He chuckled before running off.

"Oh, we'll see about that! Come back here, mister!"

 **Eli201, your third request is here. I love angst too but I couldn't keep it angsty. I needed the fluff!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Request Counter: 19**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yep. And there is even more Bal on the way.**

 **Eli201: I'm so happy you loved it! I'll let you know and I like the name Dylan.**

 **Owllover34: Thank you! And I like the way your brain works. That will definitely be in there.**

 **veroandlegolas: Aww, thank you! And don't worry. There are plenty to come!**

 **SusieBeast: (Chapter 50) No. Where's the fun in that? And it's not supposed to be fair. At least you can say you survived though! (Chapter 51) Of course I am. Why would it be you? Lol. And that sounds like a good thing to be.**

 **Guest.I: Aww, thank you but it wasn't my idea. I just wrote a story based on the idea that one of my amazing readers had so I can't take credit for that.**

 **Kate cheese: I am so happy you loved it!**

 **LOVE ALL OF YOU! EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU AMAZING PEOPLE!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	53. Bonding (Mal and Belle)

The day was beautiful. The sun was shining, the clouds were scarce and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. People everywhere were smiling and exchanging kind words. Students were going about their day, going to classes, spending free periods studying or with friends. Friends were greeting each other with a wave and a hello as they passed each other, some stopped to chat, some rushed on to their next class. Boyfriends and girlfriends were walking around hand-in-hand or giving each other quick goodbye kisses. One particular pair were both on a free period and were sitting down at their favourite spot. The boy had his arm around his girl, who was leaning her head on his shoulder, feeling at peace with the world. Then the boy just had to go ruin that for her.

"Mum wants you to come over this weekend." he said out of the blue.

Mal's eyes, which were peacefully shut, suddenly snapped open. "What?"

Ben repeated himself, making Mal take her head of his shoulder and look at him, her eyes wide.

"Why?" She asked.

Ben shrugged. "She loves you. She probably wants to bond with you a bit, so that you have a mother figure of sorts."

Mal opened her mouth as if to say something but then blinked a few times and shut it again. Mal hesitated for a second before opening her mouth again. "But we have pretty much nothing in common. What we will we bond over?"

Ben thought about it for a second. "I don't know. You'll find something, I'm sure of it."

Mal sighed and put her head back on his shoulder. "How are you always so positive?"

Ben shrugged with the shoulder Mal was not on. "I just believe that the two most important women in my life will be able to bond. Both of you are smart, beautiful, strong, not afraid to speak your mind."

Mal hummed in agreement. "Okay, I'll come. But if we don't get on, I'm blaming you."

Ben laughed. "I'll take that risk." Just then the bell went and Mal groaned as she stood up. Ben laughed and pecked her on the cheek before heading off to his next class. Mal picked up her books which had been sitting next to her and headed to class.

After school that day, Mal told Evie what Ben had said.

"Wow. That's pretty exciting." Evie commented.

Mal shrugged. "I don't know, Evie. What if she tries to bond with me and then finds out that she doesn't like anything that she finds out about me?"

Evie sighed. "Mal, why does your confidence always falter around trying new things? Where is that strong, independent girl?"  
"She's right here but scared out of her wits what might happen if her boyfriend's mother begins to disapprove of her."

"Mal, you'll be fine. Ben's probably told her everything about you anyway." Evie reasoned.

Mal nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, though?"

"Belle is lovely, you'll be fine. Come here though, I need to sort out a dress for you." Evie commanded.

Mal shook her head. "No. I'll just wear one of my old ones."

Evie gave her a disappointed look but Mal shook her head more firmly. "I haven't worn quite a few of those in ages. You keep making me new ones. I'll just wear the one I wore to my first date with Ben and then the second day, I'm going to wear a pair of jeans and shirt."

"But that dress clashes with your new hair!" Evie exclaimed.

Mal sighed. "Fine. I'll wear one of the dark purple dresses you made me before I went blonde. But I really don't want a new one. I'm running out of space."

Evie looked like she wanted to argue but decided against it. "Fine. But I'm getting you ready before you head to Castle Beast."

Mal nodded in agreement. "That I'm okay with."

Evie smiled and hugged her. Mal hugged back happily. "I'm so glad you guys convinced me to stay." Mal murmured.

"I am too. But let's be honest here, it was mainly Ben." Evie replied with a laugh.

Mal nodded and broke away. "True. But I wouldn't have been able to live without you. You're my best friend."

Evie smiled and glanced down before looking up again. "Okay, enough sentimental stuff. I'm not wearing my waterproof mascara."

Mal laughed and nodded. "Okay. Hey, have you done that maths homework?"

The rest of the week passed by in a blur and suddenly Mal found herself being woken up by Evie who was excited to get her ready.

"You'd think this was the first time I've met them." Mal muttered as Evie flew around with make-up, hairspray and what not. Finally, Evie placed the finishing touch to her make-up.

"There, all done." Mal stood up and looked in the mirror. She was wearing a knee-length, violet A-line dress with semi-sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves which were cut slightly jagged like dragon wings. Her make-up was natural and her hair was left down. She was wearing black combat boots with little golden chains on them. She smiled and turned back to Evie and hugged her.

"Not hideous?" Evie inquired, with a joking tone.

"Not hideous." Mal confirmed. Mal pulled back from the hug and took a deep breath. "Now, which leather jacket?"

Evie thought for a second before pulling out a black one with the dragon symbol on the back. Mal nodded in agreement and took it from her, slipping it over her shoulders.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Mal turned and grabbed her backpack which had everything she'll need and opened the door.

Ben smiled at her, admiring her unfailing ability to continuously stun him with her beauty, and held out a hand for her. Mal took it and waved to Evie as she and Ben walked away. Evie waved back and closed the door.

Mal and Ben went to Castle Beast in a limo. The drive was silent, but a comfortable silence. At one point, Ben had looked over at Mal and taken her hand making her look at him and smile before both of them turned their heads back to the windows. The drive was very short and they were soon there. The driver opened the door for them and Lumiere opened the castle doors as they ascended the stairs.

"Welcome back your Majesty!" He exclaimed with a bow, "And welcome Lady Mal." he bowed again and then opened the door further to let them in.

"Thank you Lumiere. It's good to see you again." Ben said respectfully.

"You too, sire." And with that, Lumiere led them to the drawing room.

"His Royal Majesty and his Lady." Lumiere announced as he opened the door. Adam and Belle stood from where they were sat and thanked Lumiere, who bowed and closed the door.

Belle reached out and embraced her son and his girlfriend. They hugged her back, Mal feeling slightly awkward. Adam clasped his son's shoulder once Belle let them go and clasped Mal's petite hand in his two massive ones.

"It's good to see you again, Mal." Adam said, with a smile.

Mal smiled back. "You too." Adam let go of her hand and turned to Ben.

"Well, son. Shall we go?"

Ben nodded and began to turn around until Mal spoke up. "Woah, wait, go?"

Ben turned back and nodded. "Yeah. Father-son time." He took Mal's hand when she looked at him almost fearfully. "You'll be fine." He said quietly. "You've faced your mother before. Mine is nowhere near as likely to bite."

This made Mal laugh and she nodded. "Okay." Ben kissed her quickly before leaving with his dad.

Mal smiled awkwardly at Belle, unsure of what to say or do. Belle smoothed out her yellow sun-dress then looked up at Mal. "I want to show you something."

Mal nodded and followed Belle out of the drawing room. They walked down spotless halls that were covered in priceless ornaments and rich red carpets.

They got to the end of one the halls and Belle stopped, putting her hand on the door handles of two large doors.

"Adam gave me this when he found out how much I loved books." She explained before pushing the doors open to reveal the massive library. Mal gaped.

"I knew the library was supposed to be big but wow."

Belle laughed. "I know. Imagine my reaction when I saw it."

Mal nodded, completely in awe. "This is amazing." She looked around before her face contorted in confusion and she turned back to Belle. "Why did you want to show me this?"

Belle shrugged. "It's something special to me and my family. And I hope some day you'll be part of the family too."

Mal blushed and smiled. "I want to too. Just not yet."

Belle nodded in agreement. "I know. But it felt right to show you this."

Mal grinned. "Thank you, Belle. Have you read all these books?" She asked, looking around.

Belle shook her head. "Not all of them. Some of them are in Greek."

Mal raised an eyebrow at her and they both burst into laughter. Mal looked around again. "This is truly amazing. You must never get bored."

Belle nodded. "Pretty much. Though when Ben was a baby, I didn't have as much time. But once he was old enough to read, we would spend hours in the library together, just reading. Much to Adam's annoyance."

Smiling, Mal headed to one of the shelves, running her hand over the spines of the books. "He does love his books. We could spend hours just being together, me with my sketch book and him with his reading book."

"Sounds like something Ben would do. When he was with Audrey, they always had to be talking, dancing or singing. He didn't mind it but I think he's happier now that he knows he can just sit in silence with you and it'll be perfect."

Mal nodded before giggling. "Have you ever noticed how he'll randomly mouth some of the words in the book."

Belle laughed as well. "And that he does some of the expressions that the characters are pulling while reading?"

Laughing harder now, Mal nodded. In that moment she realised that she did have something in common with Belle. Ben. They had Ben in common. Belle suddenly placed her hand on Mal's shoulder.

"Okay, we have a whole day to ourselves. What do you want to do? Ben tells me you're quite the baker."

Mal grinned. "Did he tell you that the first time I tried baking it was to put a love spell on him."

"No!"

Mal nodded. "Yep. Up until our first date, Ben was under a love spell. And then he faked being under a love spell until his coronation."

Belle gasped. "He didn't!"

"He did." Mal laughed. As they headed out to the kitchen, Mal told Belle the whole story, why she spelled him, how the spell broke, how she found out, why she tried to break it in the first place. Belle was a great audience. She reacted in all the correct places and by the end of it, she was practically speechless.

"Wow. That's beautiful." Belle opened the door to the kitchen. She greeted the cooks and politely told them to take the day off. The cooks all nodded and left. The former queen often did this, as she enjoyed cooking and liked surprising her husband sometimes. They all understood that she used to do all her own cooking so it was sometimes a form of comfort to her.

Once they had left, Belle turned to Mal. "So, how about this? We make cookies and have lunch while we wait for them to finish baking. And then we can do whatever you want to do. Maybe even cook dinner so the boys can eat once they get home."

Mal nodded. "Sounds good." She then began searching through the cupboards for ingredients. Belle watched as Mal pulled everything that they needed out. "Let's get to it."

Mal and Belle washed their hands and began baking. They talked as ingredients were thrown into bowls and stirred.

"Okay, what was your best subject in your old school."

Mal answered without hesitation. "Evil Schemes and Nasty Plots."

Belle stopped stirring and stared at her. "That was a class?"

Mal nodded. "Yep." She said popping the 'p'.

Belle shook her head and kept stirring. "Wow. I knew you didn't have the same classes as the ones we have in Auradon, but I didn't realise you had that sort of class."

Mal shrugged. "We're villains. Basic Chivalry wasn't really an option."

Belle laughed and began setting the mixture onto the oven tray. She put her and Mal's trays in the oven and turned back to Mal. "So, lunch?"

Mal nodded. They pulled out bread and sandwich fillings and began making themselves sandwiches. By the time the cookies were done, Mal and Belle were giggling like children as Belle recounted a story from Ben's early childhood.

Belle caught her breath and pulled the cookies out of the oven. "These look beautiful." She put them on the cooling rack. "Right. We have the desert and now for the main course. It's warm out so what I was thinking was a simple caesar salad. Make a lot of it and it can make a brilliant dinner."

Mal thought about it. "Simple and delicious. Good idea."

They set to work, chopping vegetables and throwing them together. They found the dressing and managed to unearth some croutons that were hiding in the back of one of the cupboards ("I knew we had them somewhere!") They then wrapped it in clingfilm and put it in the fridge till later.

"Okay, so that's dinner ready. We still have time to kill." Belle said, turning around. "Oh, I have the perfect idea. Come on."

Mal followed, confused at the former queen's behaviour. She seemed to have turned slightly more teenage-like as she and Mal talked and grew closer.

They re-entered the library and Belle went to a certain book. She pulled it and it the bookshelf began to move.

"Classic." Mal said, looking impressed. However what wasn't so normal is that behind that bookshelf was….a bookshelf.

"This is my collection of private books. Ones no one but the family is allowed to see. So albums and scrapbooks and what not." Belle said, looking up and down the shelves. "Aha!" She pulled out a blue picture album and shut the shelf/door. "Want to look at Ben's baby pictures?"

Mal nodded without hesitation and the two of them settled down, opening the book to look at all the pictures of Ben.

"This was him when he was first born." Belle said, pointing at the picture of a small baby, fists clenched and face contorted showing he was crying. He was wrapped in a baby blue blanket at was sitting in the arms of a younger Belle,who looked exhausted, and Adam, also looking quite a bit younger, sitting with one hand on Belle's shoulder and the other holding helping her support the baby in her arms. Mal smiled at the happy family. She looked at the next picture, in which a small girl had joined them and was sitting on Adam's lap.

"And that was when Annie first met her little brother." Belle explained. "She came a few hours after the first one was taken."

They went through the album and Mal watched her boyfriend grow from a tiny baby into a messy toddler. There were pictures of Ben covered in food, pictures of him and Annie playing and, of course, a picture of him playing in the bath.

"And this was when he lost his first tooth. He was so proud." Belle was pointing out when the library doors opened.

"We thought we might find you here." Adam's voice rang out. Belle and Mal looked up with a smile. Ben had walked in with Adam, smiling, until he noticed the book Belle and Mal were holding.

"Oh, mum! Please don't be _that_ mum." He exclaimed, with a small whine. Belle and Mal laughed hard.

"Aww, but you were so cute!" Belle exclaimed.

"Yeah, what happened?" Mal added.

"Oh, ha ha." Ben said sarcastically before grinning and going over to give his girlfriend a kiss. Mal happily complied and smirked when Ben pulled away.

"You know I'm going to use this against you forever, right?" Mal said seriously.

"Forever sounds good to me." Ben replied, sitting down next to her. Mal realised what he meant and blushed a little bit before settling her head on his shoulder. Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and then gestured to the book. "Can that please go away?"

Belle sighed dramatically but got up and put it away. "I'll show you the rest some other day." She said to Mal.

"I'll hold you to that." Mal replied.

Belle clapped her hands together. "Right. We have made dinner. I'll go get it, so why don't you guys make your way into the dining room? We'll have some dinner and then we can go play some games in the sitting room."

They all nodded in agreement and headed to the dining room, Belle going to the kitchen. They spent the whole dinner talking and laughing and enjoying their time together. Ben noticed a lot of glances and hidden giggles that happened between Mal and his mum. He smiled inwardly, knowing that his two favourite women were getting on so well. He was glad they had this time to bond. Even if they did gang up on him whenever possible.

 **Here you go SusieBeast! I hope I did okay. I enjoyed this one.**

 **Request Counter: 18**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yep. A lot of Bal. The majority of my requests are either Bal or Jonnie so you'll be seeing a lot of those two.**

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 **Eli201: I'm so glad I lived up to your expectations and yes, the press is ridiculous. You'll have to wait to see what happens with Dylan though. First come, first served. It'll be soon though.**

 **SusieBeast: Life of a fangirl indeed. And thank you so much for the 'serious' point. Because of it, I've now made myself a rule. No oneshot will be under 2000 words. I hope I can keep making the long ones. I enjoy them too.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Well, I tried to add some fluff. So if you died, I hope it was from that.**

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 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	54. Studying Abroad (Bal and Devie)

As the sun began to set, the four college students began heading towards the dorm rooms. The atmosphere was a mix of happiness, from an amazing day together, and sadness, as they knew what was going to come the next morning. They tried not to let it bother them, although it hung above all their heads. The boy with honey-brown hair and an air of authority about him pulled his purple haired, faerie girlfriend closer to him as they laughed at a joke the brown haired trumpet player had just cracked. The bluenette princess rolled her eyes at her boyfriend and kissed him on the cheek. He grinned at her and put his hand on the one she'd wrapped around his arm.

"Can you believe it's tomorrow already?" Mal said, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

The boys faces fell slightly while Evie nodded at her best friend's statement. "I know. It's crazy. It's happened so fast."

The two boys forced a thin smile before Ben decided it was time for the girls to get to bed. "It'll be a long day tomorrow. You need your rest."

The two girls nodded in agreement before exchanging one quick hug. "Come tomorrow night, and we'll be sharing a room again."

Evie laughed. "Yep. You'll have to put up with my early morning routines." she joked.

"And you'll have to put up with dragging me out of bed." Mal replied. They giggled and hugged each other one more time. "See you in the morning, E."

Evie nodded. "See you in the morning, M."

And with that, each girl took the hands of their respective boyfriends and headed to their dorms. Once at Mal's dorm, Ben lingered for a few seconds before letting go of his girlfriend's hand. "I'm going to miss you, you know?"

The purplette smiled at him. "I know. But you're going to see me tomorrow."

"Yeah, and then I won't see you again for three months. That's a long time." Ben replied, looking at her with sad, wide eyes.

Mal sighed and put her hands on his neck, looking at him with a sorrowful look. "I know but we'll video chat everyday. And think about it this way, I won't be distracting you from your important kingly work."

Ben pouted a little bit and wrapped his arms around her waist before mumbling, "I don't mind you distracting me."

Mal laughed and pecked her true love's lips. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. You're going to see me off, aren't you?"

"Of course. I need to spend as much time as possible with you before you leave me." The king replied.

"Think about it this way. Every day brings me a day closer to coming home." Mal said, smiling at him. Ben nodded slowly, still not looking convinced. "I'll see you in the morning, okay? Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Ben replied, still looking sad and showing no sign of letting go of her.

"I love you." The faerie said, looking at her boyfriend with a look that said 'it'll be okay.'

Ben smiled. "I love you too." He leaned down and captured her lips in a long, sweet kiss.

Mal pulled back slowly, letting go of his neck. "See you in the morning."

Ben removed his arms from her waist reluctantly and nodded. "Yeah. See you in the morning."

With one last kiss, Mal entered her room and closed the door behind her. She looked over at her packed bags and sighed quietly. Her room mate looked at her as she entered and she began babbling at her.

"Can you believe it's your last day here for three months? I can't believe it. It's cool though. I'll get a new room mate which will be exciting, and you will too. And you get to travel, which will be awesome. Promise to send me pictures. And maybe bring back a souvenir! Oh, and-"

"Julianna, chill!" Mal laughed, "Don't worry. I'll bring you back something cool."  
"Okay, okay. Sorry. I'm going to miss you."

"Yeah, I'll miss you too. But you have my email address so we can stay in contact." Mal replied as she lay down on her bed.

Julianna nodded. "Yeah."

Mal grabbed her pyjamas and stood up, heading to the bathroom. She got changed and settled back into bed. "Goodnight, Julianna. I have an early start, so I need to sleep."

Julianna replied with a goodnight before turning off the light and settling into bed with her phone.

The next morning, as the sun rose steadily, it's rays shining on the face of the blue-haired princess, Evie's eyes opened. She smiled to herself. It was the day. She got up and got on with her morning routine. Get up, get dressed, do hair and make-up, and then going to have breakfast. Her room-mate woke up just as she finished her hair (she always made sure she was up before Avalynn so she wouldn't see her without make-up).

"Hey Evie." Avalynn said, as she got up, grabbing her clothes for the day. Evie smiled at her and greeted her kindly before grabbing her tiara and placing it delicately on her head. She packed away all her make-up and hair supplies and put them in her suitcase. As she zipped up the suitcase, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" She called out to Avalynn who was still in the shower. Evie headed over to the door and opened it up to see her boyfriend with a bag from the pastry shop and a take-out coffee cup.

Evie grinned, and shook her head slightly. "What am I going to do with you?"

Doug grinned back. "You could start with a hello and a thank you?"

Evie giggled. "Hey Doug. And thanks. But I told you, you don't have to bring my breakfast up to me. I was just about to go get some."

"Well, I caught you right on time then. Come on, I'm not going to see you for three months."

Evie sighed and took the coffee and bag from him. "Come on in. Just give me a second to warn my room-mate." She went over to the bathroom door and knocked. "Avalynn? We have company!"

"Okay! Thanks for the heads up!" Was the reply.

Evie turned back to see Doug now standing in the room. Evie put the coffee down and opened the bag. "Lemon tarts? You're the best." She said, kissing him on the cheek before pulling one out and chewing it slowly.

After she finished the tart and took a sip of the coffee, Doug spoke up. "I can't believe you're leaving for three months."

Evie turned around and smiled at him. "Doug, it's shorter than you think. I'll be back before you know I was gone."

Doug sighed. "I'm still going to miss you too much."

Evie put her hands on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to miss you too. But we have video chat, email, InstaRoyal. It's not like there is no way to talk. Besides, this overseas fashion course is going to help me with the business."

"I know. I know." Doug replied. He looked up at the clock and sighed sadly. "We should probably get going."

Evie followed his gaze and saw the time. "Okay. Let me just say goodbye to Avalynn."

"I heard my name." Avalynn said, stepping out of the bathroom, fully dressed but her hair still wet.

"I need to go." Evie said simply. Avalynn looked like she was beginning to tear up and she ran at Evie and hugged her.

"I'm going to miss you, roomie." She said, squeezing Evie as tears began to slip out.

"I'm going to miss you too." Evie said, hugging her friend before letting go. "Keep in contact."

Avalynn nodded and then Doug gently took Evie's elbow. "We have to go, Eve."

Evie took a deep breath and nodded, grabbing her suitcases and walking out, waving as she left. Doug, who was dragging her other suitcase behind him, put his arm around her waist. Evie leaned in to him slightly and smiled sadly. Outside, they met up with Mal and Ben, both of whom looked slightly depressed. They piled the suitcases into Ben's car and hopped in. Everybody else who was coming on the exchange trip would be meeting up at the airport so that parents and friends could drop their friends off. The car drive was silent, nobody sure what to say. Eventually Mal, who was sitting in the front with Ben, turned on the radio. As _'Almost There_ ' began blasting through the radio, Mal sang along, followed soon by Evie. Ben also began to sing along, while Doug played air trumpet. They were soon all laughing and singing along to every song that came on. It was the oldie song channel, meaning all the songs were from their parents generation. They just sang and goofed around (as much as the car would allow them to anyway) so by the time they made it to the airport, they were all in better spirits.#

The girls spotted their group as soon as they walked in and they knew that was their cue to say goodbye.

Mal turned to Ben, a few tears sparkling in her eyes. "I'll see you in three months." She said, smiling sadly.

Ben nodded before pulling her towards him and kissing her. Mal kissed back gently before pulling away. She slung her backpack over her back and took both of her suitcases from Ben. "I love you." She said, with one last peck before heading over to the group, taking deep breaths in order to keep herself from crying. Evie hugged Doug tightly before gathering up her stuff and heading over to the group. The boys looked at their girlfriend's sadly before heading out.

As the group made their way through checkout and toward the gate, Mal couldn't help but let a tear slip. She wiped it away quickly but not before Evie saw it.

"It's only a few months, Mal." Evie said, sympathetically.

Mal nodded. "I know, I know. But it's still hard."

Evie nodded before letting out a small laugh. "At least we should get some breathing room now."

Mal laughed as well. "Yeah. Yeah we will."

They looked at each other, smiling. "Three months will go by quickly. We'll be smothered again before we know it."  
Evie laughed again. They then just sat there waiting to be allowed to board. Once on board, Mal shot Ben a quick text, letting him know they were on the plane and that she'd message him via Gracebook once they were in the college.

Both of them freaked out a little during the take-off but once in the air, they were fine, although, they refused to take their seatbelts off unless it was to go to the toilet. They were relieved once off the plane, although they both laughed about it later. Once given their room, Evie and Mal unpacked and messaged their respective boyfriends. Evie pulled out her schedule and compared it to Mal's. Most of their classes were at similar times meaning they could spend plenty of time together. That night, after having settled in properly and had a welcome meal, Ben rang Mal via video chat. She clicked the answer button and smiled at her boyfriend, who looked elated to see her.

"Hey Ben." Mal greeted, smiling.

"Hey, how's the new school?" Ben asked.

"It's good. I think I'm going to like it here." Mal replied.

"Not more than Auradon, I hope." Ben said, jokingly.

Mal pretended to consider it. "I don't know. Maybe." She said, playfully winking at him.

Ben laughed. Suddenly Mal disappeared from view. He heard a thump and saw Evie's face in the camera.

"Hey Ben!" She said excitedly.

"Sure, just ignore your best friend who you pushed off her own bed and say hey to _her_ boyfriend." Came Mal's snide remark.

Evie giggled. "Sorry, M."

"Yeah, you will be." Mal appeared in view again, shaking her head. Ben looked at her concerned.

"Are you okay, Mal?"

Mal nodded. "I'm fine. She jumped on the bed, which, by the way, is super springy."  
"I didn't realise it was that bad." Evie laughed.

"Haha." Mal replied before shoving Evie.

"Hey!" Evie's annoyed voice came.

Mal actually laughed this time. Ben rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's antics. He asked her another question and it started up a conversation. They ended up talking for hours before Ben realised the time and forced her to go to bed. Mal had pouted but agreed. Classes were supposed to start the next day and they needed to rest. Within two weeks, a routine was established. Every morning, they'd text each other a good morning text before getting on with their day. They'd also text each other when they were really bored throughout the day and for a little bit during their breaks, although they spent most of their time with their friends who were with them at time. Finally, every night, when Ben finally got home from the office, he'd video chat Mal and they'd spend hours talking before it was time to go to sleep. Evie and Doug had a similar routine, although they tended to go to bed earlier.

One day, Ben didn't get a reply from his good morning text and this confused him slightly. He shrugged it off and presumed she'd not charged her phone or something or maybe she was still sleeping as it was the weekend. But he didn't get any text for the rest of the day. He asked Doug and apparently it was the same situation. Both of them were very confused and unsure at what was happening. What Doug wasn't expecting to find after walking out of band practice was to see Evie standing there, smiling brightly.

"Eve?" he asked, looking dazed.

Evie smiled and nodded. "Surprise." she said simply.

Doug let out a laugh of joy and swept her up in his arms, spinning her around. "You're back! You're not supposed to be back for a month. How come you're back early?"

Evie giggled and put her hands on his shoulders as he set her down. "We have a break. We came back for a few days before we go back for the rest of the month."

Doug hugged her tightly, "I've missed you." he mumbled into her hair. Evie squeezed him back. "I've missed you too."

Meanwhile over at Castle Beast, Mal was giggling because her boyfriend has refused to let her go.

"Ben, please, I can't breathe."

"Nope. If I let go, you might disappear again."

"Ben." Mal said, exasperated.

Ben let go, but reluctantly. "Okay, fine."

"See? Still here."

Ben nodded, smiling. "I can't believe you're here. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Obviously you don't understand the concept of a surprise."

Ben laughed. "Well, consider me thoroughly gob-smacked."

Mal grinned before kissing him briefly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." he said. He then took her hand and they began walking. "Well then, I'm going to cancel everything tomorrow and we can spend the whole day together. We can go wherever you like." Ben said with a smile.

Mal nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Doug and Evie had similar plans, in the sense that they were going to spend the whole day together.

"So, what first?" Evie asked as they walked through town. "Lunch or something else?"

"What do you want to do?" Doug asked, looking around at the shops.

Evie thought about it for a second, looking around. "Charity shops?"

Doug smiled. The charity shops always had a variety of things to look at, so neither of them got bored.

While Evie checked out some of the clothes that were on display, Doug began looking through the books.

"Okay, this is just offensive." Evie said suddenly, causing Doug to look at her with his eyebrow raised. Evie was holding out a dress, which was green and came to the knees. Doug recognised it.

"That's one of yours isn't it?"

Evie nodded. "Why would she put in the charity shop?"  
Doug looked at it a while longer before remembering who had bought it. "Oh, yeah. Lola outgrew it. She got it when she was still growing so it got too short for her. She figured that somebody who wouldn't normally be able to afford your clothes would like it."

Evie smiled, softly, obviously having forgiven Lola. "That's sweet. Fair enough. I hope someone does like it."

Doug nodded. "I'm sure they will."

They continued to go through the things there, for a good twenty minutes. Eventually they both decided that they should leave. They both selected one item to buy and went to the checkout. Doug, ever the gentleman, refused to let Evie pay. He hadn't seen her in two months and he wanted to spoil her so he bought the handbag for her.

After that they went and got some lunch before deciding to just walk around town for a while. They loved spending hours together, not doing anything in particular, just enjoying each other's presence. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Before they knew it, the girls had to go back. There were a lot of hugs and kisses before the boys let their girls go again. They knew that they didn't have to wait as long this time, but it was still hard to be separate from them.

The next month passed by slowly. While they were enjoying everyday abroad, the girls couldn't help but wish they were home. They missed their brothers, they missed their friends and, of course, they missed their boys. Video chats and texts were a good way to stay in contact but it wasn't the same. As much as they enjoyed their time with their new friends, (and they'd stay in contact with them, obviously), they just wanted to see the familiar streets of Auradon and see their old friends again. They hadn't seen them for a month (or three for those who hadn't been able to see them on their brief return).

Finally the day came. They arrived at the airport and as they walked out of the baggage pickup, they saw quite the party waiting for them. Carlos and Jay were there, both grinning, their girlfriends standing with them, bouncing on the balls of their feet (Evie and Mal were unable to catch up with the girls on their brief visit as Jane was incredibly busy at college and Lonnie was in Northern Wei) and last but not least, Doug and Ben stood there, both smiling so bright, it blinded everyone around them.

Mal didn't even think twice before dropping her bags and running at Ben, who wrapped his arms around her and spun her around the moment she landed in his arms.

"I've missed you so much!" Ben exclaimed. Mal replied by holding him tightly.

"Oi, mate, don't hog our sister." Carlos said. Mal let go of Ben and attacked Jay and Carlos with hugs as well.

Meanwhile, Evie had walked over to Doug gracefully and set her bags down before hugging him so tight, neither of them could breathe properly. She let go and went to hug Jane and Lonnie before swapping with Mal and hugging her brothers while Mal hugged her friends. Evie also briefly hugged Ben and Mal, Doug. They then picked up their bags and headed out to the cars, Ben's arm wrapped firmly around Mal's waist, while Doug held Evie's hand.

Three months had felt like an eternity, but the eternity was over and the girls were back where they belonged. Auradon, with their friends and their family. They stayed in contact with their friends overseas and sometimes went to visit them, but there's no place like home. That was something that would never change.

 **Here you go SusieBeast! I am so sorry this took so long! Don't hate me! I had a visitor, called writer's block. I finally managed to get rid of them though. If this isn't my best piece of work, that is probably while. I am so sorry if it wasn't too good.**

 **Request Counter: 17**

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 **MirandaAnnette144: I am so happy you're enjoying them. And there is some Devie and Janelos. Not much though. Guess you'll just have to request it when I reopen the requests. ;)**

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 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	55. Dreams (Bal)

**(Disclaimer: Everything in italics is quoted directly from Isle of the Lost by Melissa Dela Cruz and does not belong to me. No copyright infringement intended)**

She was feeling a strange sense of deja vu. She was looking upon a scene that seemed familiar and yet, different some how. _She was sitting by the edge of a beautiful lake, on a stone floor of an ancient temple ruin, eating the most luscious strawberry. The forest all around her was lush and green, and the sound of the water rushing at her feet was soothing and peaceful. Even the very air all around her was sweet and fresh._ How odd. The Isle was nothing like this. Why was she here? It made no sense.

" _Where am I?" she asked aloud, reaching for a plump grape from the gorgeous picnic set before her._

" _Why, you've been in Auradon for days now, and this is the Enchanted Lake," answered the boy seated next to her._

She looked over at the boy. He seemed so familiar. She couldn't place why. She cocked a head at him as she studied him. _Tall, with tousled honey-brown hair, and painfully handsome with the kind of smile that melted hearts and made all the girls swoon._

Mal felt something weird. Like she should be panicking or something, but she felt calm, which confused her.

" _Who are you?" She demanded. "Are you some kind of prince or something?" She looked askance at his fine blue shirt embroidered with a small golden crest._

" _You know who I am," the boy said, "I'm your friend."_

Mal felt the need to say something snarky but with held it. However, she didn't seem in full control of herself and spoke out before she realised she had. _"Then this is a dream," she said with a crafty smile. "Because I have no friends."_

 _His face fell._ However, before he could say anything, a sweet voice broke through the peaceful atmosphere.

"Get up Mal! Come on, you'll be late."

Mal's eyes snapped open as she sat up.

"You okay?" Her best friend and room-mate, Evie, asked, looking at her concerned.

Mal nodded, a little unsure. "Yeah. Yeah. I just… I had _that_ dream again."

Evie raised an eyebrow. "The one from the Isle? The one you told me about after the coronation?" Mal nodded in response. Evie continued, confusion filling her voice. "How come? I thought those would have stopped seeing as you know what they are now."

Mal nodded again. "That's the weird thing. It was like I knew it but then I didn't. It was the same dream, except you woke me up instead of mum."

Evie shrugged. "Weird. Anyway, we're going to be late for class so let's get a move on."

Mal nodded and quickly grabbed some clothes before going to get changed.

 _He was walking around a strange village full of shabbily dressed, miserable people who ate rotten fruit and drank black coffee. No cream. No sugar. No coffee cake to dip in it. The horror!_ Ben was so confused. Where was he? Auradon was nothing like this! They wouldn't let it be like this. His job as future king (why did the word future sound wrong?) was to make sure the kingdom was functioning well and everyone was treated well. This wasn't well. What was going on? Not looking where he was going, Ben managed to lose his footing and fall into a ditch. Getting up with a groan, Ben looked up. "Hey! Help! Please? Anybody? Please?" Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled him up.

 _A beautiful purple-haired girl who looked nothing like anyone in Auradon…_

" _Thank you," he said gratefully. "And who are you?"_

 _But she'd disappeared before he could catch her name_.

Confused as heck, Ben looked around for a way out when suddenly, he woke up. Ben sat up and rubbed his face. It was that...nightmare? Dream? It felt somewhere in between those two. Anyway, he'd had it before. Not long before his first proclamation. In fact, it was what led him to make the proclamation in the first place. At least now he knew why the word 'future' sounded so wrong in the dream. He wasn't the future king. He was the king. Ben got out of his bed and stretched, before gathering up some clothes and going to get changed for school.

The rest of the day went as normal for both Mal and Ben. Nothing odd, although both of them were a little out of it, occupied by the fact they'd had the dreams. It didn't make any sense.

Mal and Ben had a date that afternoon and were lying on the picnic blanket, each occupied with their own thoughts before Mal turned to Ben.

"Ben?" she asked.

"Hmmm?" He responded, pulling himself out of his confused trance and turned on his side to look at his girlfriend.

"Do you ever have dreams that repeat themselves, even though it makes no sense why they're replaying, since you're out of the situation where they'd normally come?"

Although that would make no sense to most people, Ben seemed to know exactly what she was saying.

"Believe it or not, yes. I know exactly what you mean. Why? Have you been having weird dreams?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah. I had one last night. One I haven't had since before Auradon. It was set here actually."

Ben raised an eyebrow and propped himself on his elbow, Mal mirroring his actions. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I was sitting by the enchanted lake, eating a strawberry. I remember observing the scenery and being really confused because it's too beautiful here to be on the Isle. Also, the strawberry was fresh, which makes no sense considering we only eat rotten fruit on the Isle."

Ben bit his lip slightly, seemingly upset to hear that.

"Don't blame yourself, Ben." Mal said, quickly, noting his expression. "It's not your fault. You didn't know and you're doing your best now."

Ben nodded and then motioned for her to continue her story.

"Well, anyway, I asked where I was, completely unaware that there was anybody there, when somebody answered me. I turned my head and saw _you_ sitting there."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Me?" He was confused as to why Mal would be dreaming about him, seeing as she didn't even like him at that point, let alone love him.

"Yeah, you. But I didn't realise it was you. I didn't know who you were. I remember thinking you were the worst part of the whole scenery-"  
Ben snorted. "Thanks. Love you too."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Considering who I was back then, if you were the worst part of the whole scenery, it was because you're the best. As I was saying, I saw you sitting there and I asked who you were, terrified that it wasn't a dream, because you said I was in Auradon and back then, that was my worst nightmare. You said you were my friend and I laughed in your face, telling you that it must be a dream, because I had no friends. You looked so upset and then...I woke up."

Ben cocked his head, slightly. "How odd."

Mal nodded. "I know. It was even weirder that I had that dream here though. Everything I said felt wrong, and not like it was me. It was so strange."

"I think I know what you mean. I had a weird dream last night too."

Mal perked up and looked at him, interested. "Really?"  
Ben nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. Let me think for a second. What I remember was I walking through a shabby place. It was dirty and seemed really broken down."

"Isle of the Lost?" Mal inquired.

"Must have been. It would make sense, especially now that I've been there for real." Ben bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to recall the rest of the dream. "As I was walking through I remember thinking how terrible the place was because you were eating rotten fruit and black coffee."

Mal snorted. "Yep, no cream, sugar or even coffee cake!" She said, dramatically, laughing. "I mean, the horror!"

Ben laughed as well, "Believe it or not, those were the thoughts going through my head."

"Wow, Ben. Priorities much?" Mal replied.

Ben shoved Mal lightly. "I was a naive little prince. Can I continue my story now?"

Mal waved her hand in motion for him to continue. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Although, she was struggling to keep a straight face.

Ben shook his head, grinning before continuing. "As I looked around, I wasn't looking where I was going and I managed to fall into some kind of ditch. I called out for help and then a gloved hand reached down and pulled me out. It was you."

Now it was Mal's turn to ask the question. "Me? We dreamed about each other before even meeting?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Anyway, I remember thinking how beautiful you were, unlike anyone in Auradon."  
Mal blushed lightly but didn't say anything.

"I asked you your name but you just walked away. And then I woke up."

Mal took in everything that was just said and thought about it for a bit. "So, we dreamed about each other, before we even met, both of us in the other's home. Why? How does that make any sense?"

Ben shrugged, sitting up properly, Mal following slowly. "All I know is that I was desperate to work out who you were. It eventually led to the idea of the proclamation. Seeing what the place looked like and knowing that people like you were there, I couldn't let it stay that way."

"People like me?" Mal questioned.

"You were obviously around my age. It made me realise that there were innocent children on the Isle."

Mal nodded in understanding. Both of them got lost in thought again, thinking about what the other said.

"Wait, Mal, what do you mean you didn't have friends? What about the other three?" Ben asked suddenly.

Mal bit her lip before answering. "At that point, Jay and I were just partners in crime, Carlos was a little nerd who I liked to bully and Evie was my mortal enemy who I hadn't seen in ten years."

To say Ben was a little shocked was a major understatement. "Mortal enemy?" He questioned.

"Hey, she didn't invite me to a birthday party that she'd invited the whole island to. I'm Maleficent's daughter. You do the maths."

Ben laughed. "You guys were enemies? I can't imagine you two not getting on."

"Oh, trust me. The fact that she didn't invite to the party and the fact that I tried to put her under a sleeping curse not long before we arrived here, gets brought up in pretty much every argument."

"You tried to put her under a sleeping curse?" Ben exclaimed.

Mal threw her head back, her laugh loud and clear, one of the most beautiful sounds Ben had ever heard. "Oh, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. But for now, isn't it weird that we dreamed of each other?"

Ben nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I guess we were always destined for each other."

Mal nodded before sitting up straight. "That's why you gave me such a weird look when you shook my hand!"

Ben tried to think back as far as the two of them meeting. "Yeah, I guess. How do you even remember how I looked at you? That was months ago."

"Because, your face looked familiar and it's been engraved on my mind ever since." Mal replied.

Ben grinned. "Oh, so you always have my face on your mind."

Mal shrugged. "It's definitely not a bad thing to always have on my mind." She answered, pinching his cheek, just to annoy him.

"Oh, really?" Ben joked. "I thought I was the worst part of the whole scenery."

Mal nodded. "Yeah. You were annoyingly handsome."

Ben shifted so that his face was mere inches away from Mal's. "Really? Would you still say that I'm annoyingly handsome?" He asked, with his winning smile.

Mal looked like she was thinking about it. "Yeah, maybe. Definitely annoying."

Ben laughed. "Annoying? I'm wounded."

"Yeah. It's annoying how much I love you." Mal replied, playfully. "I wouldn't be able to stop, even if I wanted to. So frustrating."

Ben grinned. "Well, let's hope you never want to stop."

"Oh, there is a very high chance that I never will."

With one last goofy grin, Ben leaned forward and caught Mal's lips in a gentle kiss. He pulls away.

"You know, I'm glad I had that weird dream." He said, smiling, looking at her lovingly.

Mal nodded. "Yeah, me too." She scooted forward and put her hand behind his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too." He then leaned down and kissed her again.

As weird as the dreams were, they were something that became an important memory to both of them. Mal even suggested that 'Once Upon a Dream' should totally be their song. Ben had just laughed and claimed he preferred 'Did I Mention?' before singing it at her. He had earned a playful smack on the arm and a kiss. Totally worth it.

 **EvelynGrimhilde6, I know it's probably not exactly what you wanted, but I did my best. Also, sorry it took a little longer than normal. Writer's block seems to have been liking me for a while. But I think it's gone now. I hope.**

 **Request Counter: 16**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks.**

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 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Yay! I'm glad you loved it! Is your heart still working? Because if not, sorry not sorry.**

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 **I love each and every one of you amazing readers so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	56. GeGe (Big Brother) (Li'l Shang & Jonnie)

Li'l Shang and Lonnie were incredibly close. They'd grown up in a family oriented household and, therefore, family was incredibly important. Ever since Lonnie was born, Li'l Shang vowed to protect her (and he was barely two at the time, so that just goes to show) and he never broke that promise. Yes, they fought, bickered and argued (they were siblings. What do you expect?) but they were always there for each other. If one got so much as teased a little bit, the other would step in and defend them with everything they had. They did a lot together when they were younger. They went to hip-hop classes together and were taught sword-play together. Their parents taught them martial arts (only to be used in self-defence, of course) and whenever he got home, Shang would play one-on-two tourney with them (although that later turned to one-on-one because Lonnie wasn't too keen on tourney). So, as you can imagine, when Li'l Shang went to Auradon Prep, Lonnie felt a little lonely. Yes, she had her friends and, yes, she had her cousins but it wasn't the same as having her brother. Despite the bickering and arguing, they had a very special bond that you can only find between siblings. Li'l Shang always came home for the holidays and they got to see each other on Family Day, but it still felt a little lonely for Lonnie.

Lonnie was so excited when she finally got to go to Auradon Prep. While she didn't spend as much time with her brother as she thought she would due to all the amazing friends she made, she did get to see him a lot more than previously and that was good enough for her. Li'l Shang had been on the Tourney Team as a sub (he was good but not the best), and had been made captain of R.O.A.R very quickly. Lonnie was so proud of him but not as proud as he was when he found out that she'd defied all the odds and become captain of R.O.A.R despite the 'no girls' rule (which Li'l Shang thought was pathetic, personally) and as assistant coach, he could watch her manage the team better than even Jay. Although, keeping his temper down whenever someone implied that Lonnie shouldn't be fighting with R.O.A.R because she was a girl was a constant struggle for him. He was very protective of Lonnie. Luckily, Lonnie was always very quick to defend herself, and if she wasn't, Jay was.

Speaking of Jay, imagine Li'l Shang's surprise when he found out that his baby sister was dating Jay.

"Okay, practice is over guys! Let's go!" Coach Jenkins yelled at the team of sweaty sword fighters. Li'l Shang gave his sister a high-five as she left, seeing as she had whooped all the guys' butts. When Jay passed him though, he put his hand out to stop him.

"Jay, can I talk to you?" It was more of a demand than a request and Jay knew better than to disobey.

Jay nodded and stayed until the rest of the team was gone. "Yeah, what's up?"

"So..." Li'l Shang began. "You're dating my baby sister, are you?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah, I am. How did you find out?"

"Word travels fast in Auradon Prep." Li'l Shang replied. Jay shrugged in a manner that said 'That's true.' He then looked at Li'l Shang questioningly, prompting him to go on.

Li'l Shang took a deep breath, "Look, mate, I know you're not a bad kid, but I also know about your reputation when it comes to women. I'm not calling you a player," he added, when Jay opened his mouth to defend himself, "But I do know you're a flirt. Now that you're dating my sister, however, you'd better not do so much as look at another girl. You're going to make sure that Lonnie is happy, and you're going to take care of her. I don't care if you're one of those guys who is afraid of commitment, but for Lonnie, I expect nothing less. I don't want to see her unsure about her relationship with you, I don't want to see her afraid that you'll get bored of her. You're going to treat her with the utmost respect. If I hear that you're doing anything less, you'll regret it. And if you hurt her, in any way, shape or form, I will personally make sure your life is a living hell. Understood?"

Jay now looked a little frightened and nodded. "Understood."

"Hey, Gege," A voice said from behind them. The boys turned to see Lonnie standing there, looking like she was laughing. "Stop threatening my boyfriend. Coach needs you."

Li'l Shang nodded and clapped his hand on Jay's shoulder. "You're a good kid, Jay. Take good care of my baby sister."

Jay nodded. "I will. I promise."

Li'l Shang held out his hand, which Jay shook firmly, before heading out of the amphitheatre, ruffling his sister's hair as he passed her.

Lonnie rolled her eyes and fixed her hair as she walked over to Jay, who looked a little confused.

"He didn't threaten you too much, did he?" She inquired.

Jay shook his head. "Not really. I have to say though, your brother is very protective."

"Like you are with Evie and Mal?" Lonnie replied, a small smirk on her face.

Jay shrugged in a manner that said 'true'.

Lonnie wrapped her arm around his waist while he'll wrapped his around her shoulder.

"I guess you just have to treat me right to make sure those threats don't come true."

Jay barked out a laugh. "If I didn't treat you right, I'd be more worried about what you would do to me."

Lonnie giggled. "As you should be. Not only am I better than you in sword-play but I happen to be very good at martial arts."

Jay nodded. "Yep. I know. Which is why I plan to treat you like the warrior princess you are."

Lonnie smiled. "I like the sound of that."

Much to Li'l Shang's delight, he heard and saw nothing but good things about his sister's relationship with the ex-thief. That is, until he somehow got wind of the incident between Carlos, Jane, Lonnie and Jay. No one is very sure how that got around, or how people knew, but it was Auradon Prep, what could you expect, in all honesty? When Li'l Shang heard what happened, he was livid. When he saw Jay, who was standing, talking to Lonnie while everyone filed out of practice, he began to see red and marched over to him.

Jay turned around when he felt Li'l Shang's presence behind him and began to greet him. "Oh, hey Li'l-" but before he could finish his sentence, Li'l Shang had smacked him in the nose with his fist.

"Jay!" Lonnie cried out as she caught him when he stumbled back. "What the hell is wrong with you, Shang?" she demanded.

Li'l Shang cracked his knuckles. "He's what's wrong, Lonnie. I shouldn't have trusted him."

"What the heck did I do?" Jay groaned, pinching his bloody nose.

"What the heck did you do? You broke up with my sister without her allowing her to explain anything, you left her crying in the amphitheatre, only to come back later and expect her to take you back after a pathetic apology."

Jay went to defend himself but Li'l Shang cut him off. "And worst of all, you presumed she was cheating on you. What kind of girl do you think she is? How dare you believe that my sister would ever do something like that? How dare you!" He growled, advancing forward.

Lonnie stepped between her brother and her boyfriend. "Back off, Li'l Shang. It was all a massive misunderstanding. We're past it now."

"He basically presumed you're some kind of slut!" Li'l Shang shot back.

Both Jay and Lonnie looked offended by that. "I presumed a lot of things that day but I would never, ever, think Lonnie is a slut!" Jay retorted.

"Oh really? So why did you presume she was sleeping with your best friend?" Li'l Shang demanded.

"Woah, okay, you obviously heard some twisted version of the truth." Lonnie said, putting her hand out when Li'l Shang tried to advance further. "He thought me and Carlos were about to kiss, but literally nothing else."

Jay nodded in agreement, still pinching his nose. He winced slightly. Lonnie looked at him and quietly told him to be careful before turning back to her brother.

Li'l Shang shrugged. "Whatever. It doesn't matter because he still believed you would cheat on him!"

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud, if you saw someone on top of your girlfriend with their faces mere inches apart, you would presume too!"

"Or I'd presume that that person forced themselves on her!" Li'l Shang retaliated.

"It was Carlos. No one would ever believe that of Carlos." Lonnie replied calmly.

"He still didn't give you a chance to explain!" Li'l Shang's voice was less harsh now, as the explanations began to make sense and gave him no reason to be angry.

"He was hurt!" Lonnie exclaimed, "Too hurt to listen to reason!"

"That's a terrible reason!" Li'l Shang retorted.

Jay stepped up to defend himself. "Trust me, I know. I've regretted not listening to her ever since!"

Lonnie put her hand on his chest. "Let me do the talking, okay?"

Jay nodded and backed down.

"Jay was to angry to think rationally. He's been hurt so many times that he just presumed. It's what he expects. To be hurt. Used. Not cared about. So it's understandable that that's the first thought that comes into his head. But now he knows better. He knows he can trust me and he does. He made one stupid mistake, that is it."

"Oh, so is that what he said to you? 'I made a stupid mistake so let's get back together?'" Li'l Shang sneered.

Lonnie shook her head. "No, of course not. Jay can think and do stupid things sometimes, but he's not a complete idiot. He apologised more sincerely than I've ever seen him apologise before and he thought that I didn't want to see him again so he tried to leave immediately after apologising."

Li'l Shang looked at her confused. "Why didn't you let him? If he doesn't trust you, why are you still with him?"

"He does trust me. And I knew him enough to know that he genuinely hated himself for what happened and for what he did. I also knew that he's been hurt so much that he reacted in the only way he knew how. To keep himself alive. Gege, please, just listen to me. He made a really big mistake. We both know it. And we're trying to deal with it still. But he still trusts me and I, him. So, please just listen to reason and leave him alone."  
Li'l Shang glared at Jay. "You promised to treat with the utmost respect. And then you did this to her. She may still trust you, but I don't. So you'd better watch your step."

Li'l Shang then whipped around and marched out of the amphitheatre, his sister calling his name after him.

Lonnie sighed. "Okay, come here Jay. Let's get you to the nurse."

After cleaning Jay up, Lonnie went to find Li'l Shang.

"Hey, Li'l Shang. I need to talk to you." She said. Li'l Shang knew she was about to tell him off because she never called him Li'l Shang unless she was angry with him. She always called him Gege, the Chinese word for big brother.

"What?" he demanded.

"Look, I know you just want to look out for me, but you have no reason to not trust Jay. This is the only time he did something so stupid. And as a hotheaded idiot yourself, you should sympathise."

Li'l Shang looked offended but Lonnie didn't stay to hear his retaliation and stormed off to go find Jay and make sure his nose hadn't started bleeding again.

It took Li'l Shang a while to trust Jay again but as he noticed Jay do nothing but care for Lonnie, he began to trust him a little more. On multiple occasions he saw Jay stick up for Lonnie before Lonnie got a chance to defend herself, showing Li'l Shang that he would do anything for Lonnie, and he'd defend her to the end of the earth.

So when Jay asked Li'l Shang his permission to propose all those years later (he had asked Shang first, of course, but he wanted Li'l Shang's blessing as well), Li'l Shang gave it without hesitation. Her sister had found a good man, and nothing could make him happier.

 **Owllover34, here you go! I am so sorry. Writer's block seems to like me. A lot. But I've done it now! It is here! Whoop!**

 **Request Counter: 15**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Thank you! And more are on the way! (plenty of Jonnie ;) )**

 **Grace: I'm glad I made your sick day better! I hope this one makes your day better as well. Also, sorry that I added the punching. But, again, realistic.**

 **Eli201: Yay! I'm glad you liked it and YES BAL = ADORABLE FLUFF BALLS!**

 **Kate cheese: Awww. Bal fluff is some of the best fluff.**

 **Owllover34: I hope you liked protective Li'l Shang and Jealous Jay is the one after the next one. Yay!**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Nope. I can't. Sorry. But thank you! You rock too!**

 **SusieBeast: Aww, thank you! I love it when my readers love my stories :)**

 **Guest.I: Yass. Bal = True Love**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks!**

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 **I love each and everyone of you precious people, reviewers or not, so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	57. Lovable Idiots (Janelos & Jonnie)

The day was pretty normal, nothing special. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the people were happy (or at least content), same old.

In Auradon Prep, tourney practice had just disbanded and all players and cheerleaders alike were leaving the stadium. Two of the boys for reasons unknown to literally everybody else, began chasing each other and tackling each other to the ground. One of the cheerleaders and one of the girls who had watched practice stood over them.

"Why?" The cheerleader asked, shaking her head at her boyfriend.

Carlos yelled at Jay, who had pinned him down. "Alright, you win!" whilst Jay looked up at Jane and Lonnie, shrugging. "It's fun."

Jane sighed. "Lonnie, I think we're dating idiots." She said.

Lonnie laughed, not taking her eyes off of the boys who had begun rolling around on the floor, trying to pin each other down (Carlos may have said Jay won but that didn't stop him from trying again). "I think we are."

Deciding to leave their boys alone, the fairy and warrior began walking back to the school building.

"Carlos can be such an idiot sometimes." Jane mourned, "I mean, remember when we were trapped in Jordan's lamp? He became over-dramatic and began going on about he couldn't breathe in such a small place when it was bigger than the dorm rooms due to our size!"

Lonnie laughed. "Please. At least that's better than Jay's flirting attempts. Remember when he flirted with CJ? She was literally our enemy at that point."

Jane giggled. "Yeah, he was flirting with everyone before you two got together. Except me, apparently."

"Must have known that you were only destined for Carlos." Lonnie replied kindly.

Jane nodded, "True. Oh, but speaking of flirting, you saw Carlos's attempts with me. He could barely string two words together."

Lonnie nodded laughing. "Yep. So true."

"And, then there was that time he forgot about our date and decided to do _homework_ instead." Jane said.

Lonnie giggled, "That was the day you and Jay hung out wasn't it?" Jane nodded and Lonnie kept talking, "You must have noticed Jay with his food. He's like an animal!"

"You're telling me." Jane replied, "You'd think after nearly a year in Auradon, he'd know how to slow down."

Lonnie laughed. They sat down on a bench, in a slightly secluded area, which also happened to be Jane's favourite reading spot.

"What are we going to do with our boys, eh?" Lonnie said, breaking the silence they were sitting in.

"Definitely not try to play video games with them, that's for sure." Jane replied.

Lonnie barked out a laugh. "They are so competitive! I mean, chill guys, it's a game."

"I mean being competitive in tourney or R.O.A.R is one thing, but a video game?" Jane answered.

Lonnie shook her head. "Yeah, I know, right? I mean, I love a good video game, don't get me wrong, but seriously? They go nuts!"

"Speaking of them going nuts," Jane said, suddenly remembering something. "Remember that time when they had a competition to see who could avoid the floor the longest by jumping from one object to the next?"

"Carlos nearly broke his wrist and Jay decided that jumping on a punching bag was a good idea." Lonnie remembered.

Jane snorted. "He slipped and fell. Poor guy."

Lonnie laughed quietly. "Yeah, poor, poor guy." they were silent for a few seconds. "He deserved it though."  
"Oh, yeah, definitely. That's what you get for doing something so stupid." Jane agreed.

They heard a bark of a dog and Duchess came running up to them. She began running around them, yapping and wagging her tail excitedly. Jane giggled and picked up a stick, throwing it for Duchess to fetch. They watched her go before Lonnie turned back to Jane. "Remember when the boys were chucking that tourney ball around and it hit Fairy Godmother?"

Jane laughed hard, "They were so embarrassed! It was priceless."

Lonnie nodded and chuckled in agreement. "You know Jay rarely texts back straight away?" she groaned all of a sudden.

"Jay rarely has his phone on him. He's always losing it." Jane replied, laughing.

Lonnie shook her head. "I know but seriously, would it kill him to text back when he does have it?"

"Typical guy behaviour."

Lonnie nodded seriously. "Yep. You're so lucky. Carlos is not a typical guy."

Jane shrugged. "No, he's not but he does freak out a little if I use texting language."

"Seriously?"

Jane nodded in conformation. "He knows it's quicker but he sees it as more loving and important if we take our time to write them."

"That's kinda cute." Lonnie replied.

"It's cute until I do use texting language and he replies with 'What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you mad at me?'"

Understanding passed over Lonnie's face. "You poor thing. That must get frustrating. But, hey, at least you can now passive aggressively let him know you're mad."

Jane laughed. "Yeah. I guess so."

They both stared off into space for a little while before Lonnie laughed.

"We wouldn't trade them for the world, would we?" She said, looking over at Jane.

Jane shook her head. "Nope. They're our men. I wouldn't want it any other way. I mean, Carlos is amazing. He's funny, and caring, and protective, and sweet, and sensitive, and loving, and everything I could ask for in a guy."

Lonnie nodded. "Same with Jay. He's not afraid to say no to his friends to hang out with me, he defends me and lets me defend him, he's respectful, he understands the importance of family honour, he understands...me." Lonnie replied, "He's like a best friend who I've fallen in love with."

Jane smiled, "Well, they say being best friend's with your partner is a good thing."

Lonnie nodded, "It sure is." She stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, "We'd better head inside. It's about to get dark."

So, they got up and began to head in, chatting about this, that and the other. That was, they were, until two certain someones crept up behind them. One wrapped his arms around Jane from behind and spun her around whilst the other grabbed Lonnie's shoulders, in a manner that suggested trying to scare her. Both girls shrieked and laughed.

"Carlos, put me down!" Jane giggled. Carlos complied and set her down, before entwining their hands together.

Lonnie turned around and smacked Jay's shoulder. "You know I hate it when people scare me like that!"  
"Hey, it'll keep you on your toes for when you're out there, beating up villains and saving the day." He replied smoothly.

Lonnie grinned, "You're lucky I love you."

Jay smiled back and slung his arm around her. "Love you too, babe."

"Dude, they're serving pizza tonight." Carlos said suddenly.

Jay let go of Lonnie. "Bet I'll get there first."

"Bring it on!" Carlos replied, running after Jay who had already began running. Jane and Lonnie stared after them.

"I know we love them..." Jane began.

"But they're still idiots." Lonnie finished, knowing exactly what Jane was thinking.

Jane nodded in agreement and they both laughed, making their way slowly back to the school and the boys who they wouldn't trade even if their life depended on it.

 **Here you go Owllover34. I know this one is short but how much can you really extend those girls complaining about their boyfriends' antics? They love them too much! XD**

 **Request Counter: 14**

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 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Don't be sorry. I completely understand why you said that. But in my defence, it is the readers who decide what I write. Lol.**

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 **Love all of you so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	58. Trouble in Paradise (Jonnie)

The whole school was waiting by the entrance, waiting for their team to return from a victorious game in Sherwood. They had beaten the Falcons 5-2, absolutely smashing them. As the coach drove up the drive, the crowd of students went mad. They cheered, roaring with glee as the bus stopped and the players came out, waving and cheering. As the last few members of the team descended, the crowd began chanting, "MVP! MVP!" as it was tradition for the MVP to be the last off the bus. To no one's surprise, Jay was the last one to leave the bus. He pumped his fist in the air as everyone went wild, cheering on him. Jay laughed and fist bumped one of his team mates. He eyes fell upon a certain Asian girl, who was smiling widely. Clasping the shoulders of his team mates as he passed them, he headed over to his girlfriend, who stood there waiting for him.

"Hey." He said as he approached her.

"Hey." Lonnie replied. She grinned and wrapped her arms around him. "Well done for getting MVP again. I'm proud of you."

Jay hugged her back and smiled as she spoke. He always wanted someone who would be proud of him and would tell him so. His dad never did that, no matter how hard Jay tried to please him, so hearing Lonnie say it made him feel more loved than ever.

"Thanks." he replied. He pulled back and immediately one of the other players grabbed his shoulder.

"Come on, man! Can't have victory pizza without our MVP!" He exclaimed.

Jay laughed. "See you later, Lonnie." He said, waving as he ran after the team.

Lonnie smiled and began to head inside the school, following the rest of the school as the crowd dispersed.

At dinner time, Lonnie headed into the cafeteria and grabbed some dinner before searching for somewhere to sit. She found an empty table near to one of the full length glass windows and sat down. Just as she sat down, she saw Jay enter, still looking elated from the game. When his eyes landed on her, she waved him over. Just then, one of the tourney guys passed Jay, and gestured for him to join the whole team who was sitting a little ways away. Jay gave Lonnie an apologetic shrug and went to sit with the boys. Lonnie rolled her eyes but felt no malice. She understood that being with the team was important to Jay, so she didn't mind. She wasn't lonely for long anyway because soon Jane, Ally and Jordan joined her, Freddie following on a little after. They chatted and laughed together, enjoying their time together. Audrey also came over and joined them for a little bit.

"Hey, Lonnie?" Audrey spoke up as soon as she was sat down.

Lonnie looked up at her and smiled. "What's up, Audrey?"

"Apparently we have a transfer student from Imperial Academy coming. Zhao Cheng? Do you know him?"

Smiling brightly, Lonnie nodded. "Yeah. He was my childhood best friend. We used to spend a lot of time together."

Audrey nodded in an understanding way. "Cool. He'll be here in a few weeks."

Lonnie smiled again. "Great." She then turned back to the other girls and resumed her conversation with them.

After dinner, Lonnie went to catch up with Jay. "Hey." She said as she fell into step with him.

Jay gave her one of his signature smiles. "Hey."

"Want to hang out?" She asked, grinning a little bit.

Jay slow down slightly as he seemed to be considering her words. "I'm sorry, Lonnie. The team is having a hangout in Tyrone's room today. Rain-check?"

Lonnie nodded, trying not to look as crestfallen as she felt. "Sure. I guess I'll catch you later then?"

Jay nodded. "Course. Later!" He said, before jogging off to catch up with his team mates who had pulled ahead slightly.

"Later." Lonnie replied, quietly. She felt slightly disappointed but she tried to shake it off of her. The team had just won a game a few hours before. Why shouldn't they hang out? Feeling a bit better, Lonnie headed to the dance studio to prepare for an upcoming inter-school competition.

Over the next few days, Lonnie didn't see Jay, as he was always in class, in practice or with the team. This bothered her more and more. She talked to Jane about it, asking if she had seen much of Carlos lately because Jay always seemed to be with the team, so she wondering if it was the same with Carlos.

"No." Jane replied, "I mean, obviously I didn't really see him the day of the game, understandably, but aside from that, he's been spending time with me."

Lonnie looked confused. "Really? Because Jay is always with the team or someone from the team. We haven't had a proper conversation or even been in each other's presence for more than two minutes since the game."

Jane frowned, "I'm sorry, Lonnie. That's not good. Want me to talk to him? Or at least get Carlos to?"

Lonnie shook her head. "No, it's fine. I don't want him to think I'm being super clingy or something. He's just still excited that he won MVP again. It means a lot to him to be valuable."

Jane didn't look convinced but left it be. "Well, I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon."

Lonnie nodded, still looking slightly dejected. "Yeah. Anyway, what have you been up to lately?"

The days went by, with no sign of Jay realising how much Lonnie misses him, due to how wrapped up he was in his victory.

"Hey Jay." Lonnie said, one day, sitting next to him on a picnic bench while he tried to struggle through some algebra homework.

"Hey." He replied, not looking up. Lonnie looked over at what he was doing and smiled a little.

"Need help?" She inquired.

Jay looked up, and smiled. "No thanks, I think I've got it."

Lonnie nodded and watched as he finished the equation. Once he finished, he put his pencil down and looked at her. "So, what's up?"

"Not much." Lonnie said, shrugging.

"You okay?" Jay asked, a little concerned.

"Well..." She began but she was interrupted.

"Jay, we have practice. Let's go!" Miguel, number 44 on the tourney team, called over.

Jay stood up. "Sorry, Lonnie. Got to go. Can't have practice without MVP." He said with a laugh.

Lonnie forced one as well and waved as he walked off. She then put her head in her hands. He really didn't notice did he? She sighed and shook her head. _Boys._ She thought before getting up and heading to the dance studio.

Lonnie stood in front of the mirror, just finishing her stretches. She turned on her CD player and smiled as her dad's voice came through the speakers, singing I'll Make a Man Out of You.

She began dancing, let all her emotions go into the dance, her motions quick and fluid. After the last note was sung, Lonnie stood her arms outstretched, panting.

"Still got it, I see?" A voice said behind her.

Lonnie whipped around and squealed. "Cheng!" She flung herself into her friend's arms. "It's so good to see you!"

Cheng laughed as he embraced Lonnie. "You too, babes. Look at you!" He exclaimed pulling back, "Captain of the R.O.A.R and the best hip-hop dancer in the school?"

Lonnie laughed. "Well, there are a few that could probably rival me in that area but I'm the only one does competitions."

Cheng smiled. "I'm sure you'd whip all their butts. Anyway, how have you been? I haven't seen in you in ages!"

Lonnie began telling him about Auradon Prep and what's been happening. They sat down on the floor in the studio and just talked for what felt like hours. They talked about school, and life at home, and how different it was being in Auradon Central as opposed to Northern Wei. Cheng explained how his mum had gotten a job down here so they moved and he was finishing his education in Auradon Prep before he went to med-school. Lonnie checked the clock and realised it was dinner time. "Come on, we'd get going before all the food is gone. Let me just get changed real quick."

Cheng nodded and waited whilst Lonnie changed out of her dance clothes and put on a pink and green dress. She slid her stacking bracelets over her wrists and then walked out. "Let's go."

"Captain of the R.O.A.R and you still know how to rock a dress." Cheng said, nudging her playfully. Lonnie giggled and slapped his shoulder.

"I can still beat you in combat in a dress, with my hands tied behind my back." Lonnie replied.

"Oh really?" Cheng challenged.

Lonnie smirked. "Yup." She said, popping the 'p'.

"I guess we'll have to see." He replied, "Just not right now because I've had a long journey and I am starving."

"Well, we can't have that, can we? This way, xian sheng." Lonnie said, using the Chinese honorific term for men.

"Why, xie xie, xiao jie." he answered, with a mock bow.

Lonnie giggled and led him to the cafeteria, where she introduced Cheng to her friends. They all greeted him kindly and they sat together, enjoying their meal with each other.

After the meal, Audrey stopped Lonnie just before she walked away. "You never told me your friend was so hot!" She exclaimed, as she stared at Cheng who was waiting just outside of the cafeteria for Lonnie.

Lonnie laughed, "Trust me, when we were kids, he wasn't as good looking. Puberty obviously did him some good."

Audrey nodded, her eyes wide as she admired Cheng from a distance. She tore her eyes away and smiled at Lonnie. "Well, see you later!" She exclaimed with a little wave.

Lonnie waved back and headed over to her friend, who slung his arm around her. "So, babes, where to next?"

Lonnie showed him around the school, and explained where he had to go for all his classes the next day. Lonnie spent the next week with Cheng, helping him settle in and just hanging out with him, catching up with him. They were incredibly close, so hanging out with him, even after so long, just felt natural and pressure free.

Jay began to notice the new guy Lonnie was hanging out with but didn't think much of it. He trusted her. About a week after New Guy had arrived, Jay passed by Mal and Audrey, and happened to catch a few words of what they were saying.

"I'm telling you, Mal. There is definitely something going on between Cheng and Lonnie. They spend so much time together, they always have their arms around each other, and he's always calling her babes."

Jay didn't hear Mal reply as he kept walking, jealousy bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. Someone else was calling _his_ little warrior 'babe' and was spending their time with her. He knew that he hadn't been boyfriend of the year at the moment, but would Lonnie seriously _cheat_ on him? He didn't believe it but the jealousy was still there. He walked by the amphitheatre and heard a shriek, followed by laughter which sounded like Lonnie. He looked in to see Lonnie and the new guy, Cheng, rolling around on the floor, laughing like children. Lonnie managed to pin him down.

"Got you."

"Alright, babes, you were right. You can still beat me." Cheng laughed.

Lonnie got up and pulled him up, only to see him get smashed to the ground again.

"Jay!" Lonnie exclaimed in surprise and fear, as Jay knocked Cheng to the ground, all of his anger and jealousy let out, as he tackled the guy. Lonnie grabbed Jay's arms and ripped him away from Cheng.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Lonnie exclaimed as she shoved Jay away from Cheng.

Jay growled. "Me? Me?! You're the one going behind my back with some other guy!"

Lonnie gaped at him in anger and disbelief. "He's a friend, Jay! A friend!"

"Yeah." Cheng agreed, getting up, "I would never look at Lonnie in that way."

"Cheng, go. Please. You're not helping."

Cheng obeyed and left as quickly as he could, Lonnie having to hold Jay back from going after him.

"A friend?" Jay exclaimed, not believing it. "Who calls their friend 'babes'?" he demanded.

Lonnie threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "It's a nickname, Jay! Friends have nicknames like that for each other. He's been calling me that since we were like eleven!"

"I don't care. You still went behind my back with this guy! You never told me you had a friend coming from Northern Wei. Why would you not tell me unless you were cheating on me, huh?"

"Because you never gave me time to tell you!" Lonnie fired back. "You've been ignoring me since the big game. All I was doing was hanging out with a friend!"

Jay stopped and realised what she was saying was true. "Why didn't you tell me that you were feeling ignored?" He demanded.

"I shouldn't have to tell you!" Lonnie exclaimed, "So yeah, I started hanging out with someone else because you seemed to forget I existed!"

Jay growled and suddenly slammed Lonnie into a wall, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. All of his anger came out in heated passion, pouring it all out into that one kiss. "You're mine," He snarled quietly, before slamming his lips into hers again. Lonnie's hands went around his neck and she kissed back with equal anger and passion. "Mine."

They finally pulled apart, both of them panting heavily. Lonnie looked him in the eye before leaning forward and whispering "Yours." in his ear. Jay's grip around her waist tightened and he pulled her closer.

Once he got his breath back, he let go of her and let his arms drop to his side. "I'm sorry." He said, looking at his feet. He looked back up at her and looked in her eye. "You're right. I've been a crap boyfriend lately."

Lonnie nodded. "You think?"

Jay cast his eyes downwards again. "I just...I don't even have an excuse. I was selfish. I got wrapped up in my achievement that I forgot one of the most important things in my life."

Lonnie sighed and took his hands. "We all get wrapped up in ourselves sometimes." She said kindly.

"Lonnie, stop." Jay said, pulling his hands away. "You don't have to try and make me feel better about every wrong thing I do. I did something stupid and I want to make up for it, so rather than try and make it all seem like it's okay, when it's not, could you just tell me what I can do to make it up to you? To show that I'm not a crap person?"

"Jay, you're not a crap person." Lonnie replied. "You're a good person who did a crappy thing. Don't ever say you're a crap person. But you can start making it up to me by apologising to Cheng and then explaining to me why you don't seem to trust me." Jay tried to say something but Lonnie cut him off. "No, Jay, you don't trust me, otherwise you wouldn't have reacted the way you did. Just go apologise to Cheng, please. And then we will talk."

Jay nodded and went to go find Cheng. After a sincere apology to Cheng, who forgave him immediately, Jay went back to Lonnie, who was sat in the amphitheatre, obviously deep in thought.

He slid down the wall next to her and looked at his scarred hands. "So..." he began, but he was saved from trying to begin by Lonnie who sighed and looked at him.

"Jay, why don't you trust me? What could have possibly make you think that I was cheating on you? You wrestle with Carlos all the time!"

Jay leaned his head back so that it hit the wall and sighed. "I overheard Audrey and Mal talking. Well, I heard Audrey talking. She was telling Mal about you and Cheng, saying that you two were really close and that she thought something else might be going on, due to how you two acted around each other. I got mad. Really mad. I wasn't thinking straight. All I knew is that I wanted to find you so that I could be sure that it wasn't true. And then I saw you and Cheng together and I just lost it."

Lonnie considered each of his words carefully. "Audrey? Really? You believed what was coming out of her mouth? She's the biggest gossip in the school."

Jay nodded, "I know. I know. I guess I was just...scared. Scared of what she said being true."

"Why? Why, Jay? I thought we agreed to trust each other."

"Because I thought you might have found someone better than me. Someone who wasn't...wasn't ignoring in favour for a sport."

"I thought you didn't realise you were ignoring me." Lonnie said, a bit of a snarky tone.

"I didn't. Not until I heard Audrey talking about you and Cheng. That's when I realised but it didn't sink in until you said it."

Lonnie scoffed, "Seriously? How could you not realise?"

"I don't know, Lonnie. That's what I'm most mad at myself for." Jay replied.

"Didn't you miss me even a little bit?" Lonnie asked, sadly.

Jay nodded. "Of course I did. Don't ever think I didn't. I just...didn't think about it too much. I was so happy with being an MVP that I didn't think of much else."

"This isn't like you, Jay. What happened?" Lonnie replied, softly. "You've been MVP before."

Jay nodded. "I know. I don't know why it affected me the way it did this time. I guess I was just so happy that I managed to do something to make someone I love proud, that it took over my life. And the team seemed really happy with me this time. Like, really happy."

Lonnie sighed. "We've always been proud of you, Jay. And I think they were really happy because it was such a big win. That rarely happens with the Fighting Knights."

Jay nodded, "Yeah." He then groaned quietly. "I'm sorry, Lonnie. I'm such an idiot."

Lonnie nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are." She then sighed again, "But you're my idiot."

Jay looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Look, I'm still really hurt by being ignored and really hurt that you didn't trust me but I still love you. I'm going to give you one more chance, Jay."

Jay gaped at her. "But..." he stared at her, "Lonnie… How can you forgive me after what I've done?"

"Because if I don't, I'll be hurting both of us unnecessarily. And I want to give you a chance because I believe you can learn from doing something this stupid."

Jay looked absolutely gob-smacked. "Lonnie..."

"But, things won't go back to how they were straight away. You know that, don't you?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah. I understand that." he sighed again. "Thank you, Lonnie. I love you. I really do."

"I know." Lonnie replied, smiling, "But it'll take a while to heal completely."

Jay nodded again. "How about I take you on a date? Like our first one."

Lonnie considered his words. "Okay. But not exactly the same as our first one."

Jay nodded. "Deal."

Lonnie leaned over and hugged him. Jay returned the hug, squeezing her to him as tight as he could.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.  
"I know." Lonnie replied, "I am too. I should have come to you."

Jay shook his head, pulling away. "No. You shouldn't ever have to. I promise you never will have to. Or I promise I'll try to make sure you don't."

Lonnie nodded. "Okay." She stood up and held out her hand to him, which it he took hesitantly and stood up. "Come on. Let's go watch a movie or something."

Jay nodded and followed her out.

This was one of many bumps in the road that was their relationship. They weren't perfect. No one was. But they did their best. Arguments happened, forgiveness almost always followed straight away. Lonnie was hurt by this incident for a long time and it took a few months before they were back where they used to be. Jay was now incredibly careful and made sure he would talk to Lonnie every day, even if it was just a quick text in the morning when he got up or in the night when he settled down to sleep. He was very sure to never make such a big mistake again. And he never did. Together they managed to get through the incident and became stronger and closer for it. Relationships take work, and people do such dumb things that you'd think that they are unforgivable. But sometimes when you forgive, things can turn out better than before. Not always, but sometimes.

 **Okay, Owllover34, I have one thing to say. I am so, so sorry. I know you wanted this to be a little light-hearted, with Jay being jealous and all that jazz but this is what happened. I think I was feeling angsty. I'm sorry. I hope you liked it anyway and weren't too disappointed.**

 **Also, I know this title sounds a little too light-hearted for what happened, but I couldn't think of anything else.**

 **Request Counter: 13**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Owllover34: I am so glad you loved it! And again, I am so sorry about this one.**

 **Grace: I'm glad you thought it was cute!**

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 **TheGreatGodzilla: I'm so glad you enjoy my oneshots and you'll have to wait a little while I'm afraid. I don't always take requests because as I often say, I'm only human and I get stressed easily so by limiting myself, I can produce better stories for your enjoyment. Hope you liked this one too!**

 **Love all of you!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	59. Overprotective

_Bal:_

The young faeire and new lady of the court sighed as she shut her dorm room door behind her and put her bag down by her bed. Her room mate, a witch princess, opened the door just seconds after it shut.

"Did you not see me?" She asked, with a small grin that indicated that she was joking.

Mal smiled back, "Sorry. Wasn't paying attention."

Evie nodded and put her own books down on her desk. "So, what's up?"

The purplette shrugged, "First council meeting tomorrow. Some of the court didn't approve of Ben's choice of lady."

Evie rolled her eyes, "Some of the court being Queen Leah?"

"Among others." Mal replied, sitting on her bed. "I guess I'm just nervous about what it means for me, and Ben of course, if they disapprove of me."

"Most likely, it means that Ben is going to kick them out of the court." The blunette replied, with a grin.

Mal shook her head, laughing quietly. "If only."

Evie sat down next to Mal and put her hand on Mal's. "They'll love you, Mal. And those who don't will need to learn to deal with it because I bet you're a better lady of the court than any of those prissy pink princesses."

Mal giggled. "Yeah, cause I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty."

"And you're a strong leader." added Evie, "Seriously, we would be in some serious scraps if it weren't for you."

Mal put her head on Evie's shoulders. "Yeah, you would." replied Mal, with a hint of a joking tone in her voice.

Evie put her arm around Mal and squeezed her shoulder. "Come on. Lady of the court or no lady of the court, you still have homework." Mal groaned but got her books out and sat at the desk, ready to work.

The next day, Mal woke up with a smile before realising it was her first council meeting. She groaned and buried herself under the covers.

"You need to learn to be a morning person if you're going to be queen." Evie called out. Mal groaned again but sat up and looked at Evie, who was already dressed and ready, a little annoyed

"I know. But I'm not yet." Despite that, Mal got up and grabbed the clothes Evie had selected for her and got changed. As she was brushing her hair, there was a knock on the door. Evie went to get it and opened to reveal Ben.

"Hey Ben. Mal?" Evie turned to her friend who put down the hair brush and smoothed out her dark purple sundress before heading over to the others.

"Hey." She greeted before taking his outstretched hand and waving goodbye at Evie.

They walked to the council room in Castle Beast in silence. Mal had moved her hand from his hand and clasped it around his elbow, leaning her head on his arm;Ben covered the hand on his elbow with his own hand. Rubbing his thumb over her hand, Ben looked at her.

"You okay?" he asked, a little concerned. Mal smiled at him, nodding.

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"About?" Ben prodded.

Mal shrugged. "This and that. Are you sure you made the right decision with me?" she asked suddenly.

Ben chuckled, "Would you rather I found Uma and made her my Lady again?"

Mal gave Ben a look and shoved him playfully, "I'm serious Ben."

"Yes." replied Ben, simply, "I am absolutely sure. Come on, it's just a council meeting. They don't bite."

Mal laughed, "Okay. I can do this."

"That's my girl." said Ben, rubbing her hand.

"Your Lady, you mean." shot back Mal.

Ben grinned and nodded, "Yeah, my Lady." he said it as though it was the most magnificent thing he had ever said.

They finally made it to Castle Beast and walked to the council room. Ben gave Mal's hand a quick squeeze and they walked in. Ben subtly pointed out Mal's seat, which was on Ben's right hand side, while he sat at the head of the table. Mal calmly took her seat and they waited for the last few of the council to arrive. Finally, everyone was seated and ready to begin.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's look at the first item on the agenda." said Ben as he sorted through the papers in front of him.

Someone cleared their throat loudly, causing everyone to look at her. "Surely, as this is a council meeting where we talk about things that are important for the good of Auradon, having a villain here would not be a good idea."

Ben narrowed his eyes at Queen Leah ever so slightly. "There are no villains in here, Queen Leah, I assure you. Now, as I was saying-"

"A villain kid is still a villain." Queen Leah spoke up again, "And I don't think we should have her in here. Who knows who she might tell anything that's been said in here. It isn't safe."

Mal furrowed her eyebrows and went to defend herself but Ben shook his head at her.

"She wouldn't tell anybody anything that she isn't supposed, just as the rest of you wouldn't. Now, let's get on with-"

Queen Leah wasn't going to let it go. "Then why did she go back to the Isle, Benjamin? And why did she come back. She should have stayed there, where she belongs."

"That is enough." Ben said firmly. "She has just as much right to be here as you do."

Queen Leah shook her head, while everyone began muttering amongst themselves, "Maleficent ruined my life. My daughter's life. Why should I accept _her_ daughter when she cursed _mine_."

Mal looked down, her face ashen, and a few tears pricking at her eyes. Ben slammed his hand on the table. "I said, that is _enough_ , Queen Leah. She is not her mother and you're supposed to be a hero. Heroes do not blame a child for the crime of the parent."

Queen Leah went to say something else, but Queen Aurora put a hand on her mother's. "Mother, stop."

"I will not. This girl is the offspring of the reason why I didn't get to see you grow up. I demand that she is removed."

Mal began shaking a little, clearly upset about the words being thrown at her.

"And to make matters worse, she turns into a dragon. How can we trust her?"

Ben stood up and held out a hand to Mal, who gladly took it and stood up with him. He led her out of the room and as soon as they were out, he held out his arms, into which Mal fell. She grasped onto him tightly, trying not to cry.

"Ignore her, Mal." he said, rubbing her back. "She's too narrow minded to see that what happened to Aurora wasn't your fault."

Mal nodded, "I know. I know. Sorry. This is just what I was afraid of."

Ben nodded in understanding. "I know and I'm sorry."

After a few seconds Mal said, "We'd better go back in."

"No, you should go back to Auradon Prep. I think you've had enough for one day." argued Ben.

"And give Queen Leah what she wants?" Mal retorted. "I don't think so."

"But-"

"No, Ben. We shouldn't give in. I can do this, okay?"

Ben didn't look too happy about it but he nodded, before opening the door for her and following her into the room.

Queen Leah tried to protest while they retook their seats but Aurora stopped her. "Mother, if you have nothing useful to say, you may as well leave or shut up." Queen Leah took the second option and harrumphed.

Ben nodded at Aurora before finally managing to begin the meeting with no more interruptions, Mal right by his side

 _Jonnie:_

A new batch of students from the Isle was arriving that day and the school was excited, curious as to who they are and what they'd be like. Getting new VKs was always an adventure and always something to forward to. One of these children coming was the son of Shan Yu, Shan Yong. Determined to not be like Audrey, by hating the child of her parents' villain, Lonnie was ready to greet Shan Yong with a welcoming smile and kind words. She put on her best hanfu and curled her hair before slipping on her stacking bracelets and clipping a hair clip in her hair. She strapped up her sandals and walked out of her room, smiling brightly. As she made her way down to the statue of King Beast, she met up with a few friends, and they walked down together, chatting away. They waited outside the school for about twenty minutes before the limo pulled up. The whole school erupted in cheers (Auradon Prep was never good at small nor were they good at not being overenthusiastic). The cheers died down once the kids all stepped out. Everyone watched in anticipation to see what would happen. As it turned out, nothing interesting. They all stood in a line while Mal and Ben greeted them and then they followed Jane and a few VKs who volunteered to help so that they (the newbies) have some familiar faces.

Lonnie immediately recognised Shan Yong, his hair black, shoulder-length and stringy, his jaw square and his eyes a dull yellow colour. Shan Yong had his arms crossed and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He managed to catch Lonnie's eye, who waved at him, before turning away, his face contorted with a frown.

"Lonnie, what are you doing?" a voice asked behind her.

"Oh, hey Jay." She said, turning around, "Just waving at Shan Yong. I don't want him to think I don't like him because of who is father is."

Jay frowned slightly, "Lonnie, I don't want you mixing up with him."

Lonnie raised an eyebrow, "Why? I don't have a prejudice against him."

"But he might have one against you, Lon. I don't want you to get hurt."

Lonnie put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Jay, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry. I can look after myself."

"I'm not saying you can't." The ex-thief replied earnestly. "I'm just asking you to not get into a situation where you need to defend yourself."

"Jay. Seriously? I'm going to try and be friends with him. We are not having another Mal/Audrey situation on our hands."

"I don't want another one of those either, but come on Lonnie. Shan Yong is vengeful."

"And you were a thief. What's your point?" Lonnie shot back.

Jay opened his mouth to argue but realised she had him there. "Fine. Just be careful. Please?"

Lonnie nodded and gave him a quick hug before heading inside. Jay sighed and headed off to practice (it was tourney season).

Later in the week, Lonnie finally found a way to approach Shan Yong. "Hi."

Shan Yong raised an eyebrow, "Uh...hi?"

"I'm Li Lonnie." She said, holding out her hand.

"Li? As in Li Shang?" Shan Yong inquired, ignoring the hands.

"Yep. That's my dad. And my brother." she added as an after-thought.

"Why are you talking to me? I'm the son of your parents enemy."

Lonnie shrugged. "So? See those two over there." she pointed out a blue-haired princess and a brunette nerd who were sitting together a little ways away. "That's Evie, Evil Queen's daughter and the boy, that's Doug. Dopey's son? As in one of the seven dwarfs." When Shan Yong nodded in understanding, she continued, "Well, they're dating. So if they're parents can be enemies and they can still fall in love with each other, we can be friends despite our parents."

Shan Yong pushed a piece of hair out of his face. "I mean, I guess?"

"Need more proof?" Lonnie inquired, she then turned and saw the tourney team sitting together. "Jay, Jafar's son, and Aziz, Aladdin's son, are good friends and work really well together on the team."

Shan Yong looked at them curiously. "Oh. Okay. So, you don't hate me because my dad."

Lonnie shook her head, "If I hate you, it'd be because of something you did and not your dad."

She held her hand out again. "So, welcome to Auradon Prep."

Shan Yong took her hand. "Thanks, Li Lonnie."

"Call me Lonnie." She replied.

Shan Yong smiled, "Only if you call me Yong."

"Deal."

Suddenly Jay came over and saw their clasped hands. "Did I miss something?" he asked, putting a hand around Lonnie's shoulders as she let go of Yong's hand.

"Oh, Yong, do you know Jay?" she asked, looking between the boys.

Yong nodded. "Yep. We knew each other."

Jay nodded as well before looking at Lonnie. "Lon, can I talk to you?"

Lonnie nodded and followed him as he lead her away.

"What's up?"

"Lonnie, I'm really worried about what he might do to you." Jay said, glancing over at Yong.

The warrior sighed, "Jay, seriously, I'll be fine."

"Lonnie, all he used to talk about was getting revenge for his father."

"And all you used to talk about was getting the big score to make your father proud. Look at you now." Lonnie fired back.

Jay sighed, "Okay, fine. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Lonnie put her arms around his neck, "If I get hurt, it's my fault. And you can have at him after I'm done with him, if he does hurt me in any way, shape or form."

Jay sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll go with that. Just be careful?"

"Always." she replied, pecking his lips before letting go and heading over to her new friend, leaving her boyfriend to head back to the tourney team.

Turns out, Yong let go of his vengeance pretty quick. Lonnie was so sweet, he couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her (and then he saw her in R.O.A.R. and realised that even if she wasn't super sweet, no one would dare hurt her). Yong loved it in Auradon and was quickly one of the coolest guys there. Jay no longer had to worry about him hurting Lonnie, so they became friends (not close friends, but still friends). Life was good.

 _Devie:_

The school was buzzing with excitement. Cotillion was on the way and it was all anyone could talk about. What was the ceremony going to be like (as that is where Mal would officially become Lady of the Court)? What were the decorations going to be like? Who's going to be their date? What are they going to wear? Now, that last question was an easy answer for most people, especially the girls. Evie's Four Hearts, of course! Evie was a brilliant designer and was very good at adding what the customer wanted and making sure each dress was perfect for the client. She had a real talent. It also helped that she'd started her own line of lip gloss (she likes to experiment), so many people wanted to wear Evie's Four Hearts. And so, Evie had her work cut out for her. Every spare moment was used to book in clients for fittings, designing, and lots and lots of sewing. Doug walked in one day to work through some finances to see Evie rushing around, looking frantic.

"Eve?" Doug inquired. "Evie? Evie!" It took him several tries before he got her attention.

"Oh, hey Doug. Do you know where I put my measuring tape? I have a fitting in five minutes and I can't find it anywhere!" Evie said, frantically looking under a massive pile of books.

Doug raised an eyebrow as Evie searched for the item, which was hung around her neck. He approached her and removed it before handing it to her.

Evie sighed with relief. "Oh, thank you. I must be losing my head." She grabbed the dress she was about to fit and laid it out. "I hope this fits her." She mumbled. Just then, a girl walked in.

"Hi Evie! I'm ready for my fitting!" She called out sweetly.

"Of course. Come on in." Evie gestured her in. The girl grinned until she laid eyes on the dress in Evie's hands.

When she saw it, her grin faltered. "Oh. I believe I requested a green dress."

"Did you? I could have sworn you requested pink." Evie replied, looking at the dress in her hands. She quickly went to check her book, in which all the details she needed were in. "Oh. You did request green. I'm sorry, I believe I have the wrong one."

Evie quickly grabbed the correct dress and got the girl to get changed. After the fitting, Evie sat down on her bed and sighed.

"Evie, I think you need to stop for today." Doug suddenly said, looking up from his computer.

"Stop? I don't have time to stop. I need to finish off two more dresses and I need to find good material for Chad's cape!" She replied, looking a bit panicky.

"Evie, you're overworking yourself." Doug responded, calmly. "Cotillion isn't for another two weeks. You have time. You're one of the best dress makers out there, so you can easily do it."

"But-" Evie began to protest.

"Not buts." Doug interrupted. "You take the rest of today and tomorrow off and you can continue after." Evie tried to argue again but Doug cut her off. "You're too stressed. And you know your work isn't at it's best when you're stressed. You have plenty of time so you take tomorrow to relax and have some Evie time."

Evie sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only the rest of today and tomorrow."

Doug nodded in agreement and stood up, heading over to her so he could drop a kiss on top of her head. "Come on. Let's get some dinner."

Turns out having some Evie time was exactly what she needed and she managed to produce some gorgeous gowns because of it.

However, Doug was not about to let her go straight back to work after cotillion.

"Hey Evie." Doug said, looking up from counting the money Evie had made and trying to work out the profits, making sure his pre-cotillion calculations were correct.

Evie smiled at her boyfriend, unsurprised that he had made it back to her room before she did, and immediately picked up a pair of fabric scissors and grabbing a roll of dark purple fabric before beginning to cut.

"Um, what are you doing?" Doug inquired, looking up.

"Working." Evie replied, as she measured the amount she would need.

"Oh no, you don't." He said, taking the scissors from her and putting them to the side.

"Hey!" She protested.

Doug shook his head. "Evie, you overworked yourself for cotillion. You don't need to go straight back to work."

"What? I didn't overwork myself." She denied.

Doug gave her a look. "Really? You were rarely not working for the first few weeks."

"Yeah, but I managed my time better after all the dresses were made." She argued. "I had time to make Ben an Isle outfit, go get Mal, save Ben from Uma and still re-do Mal's dress before cotillion."

He shook his head. "Nope. You've worked too hard. I don't want you getting overstressed." He reached over and placed a hand over hers. "It's not good for you. Seriously, just take a week or so off. It won't hurt you."

Evie looked at him for a few seconds, contemplating it, before shaking her head. "I'm fine, Doug. Everything will calm down, now that cotillion is over and I have more time to make these outfits and less of them."

"I know, but still. You've worked so hard, you deserve a break." Doug reasoned.

Evie smiled, and nodded. "Okay, if it makes you happy, I'll take today off."

"A week." Doug argued.

"Doug." Evie said slowly, "You're being a little overprotective. I'll not work today, okay?"

"So, there is no convincing you otherwise?"

Evie smirked a little. "Don't be dopey." She leaned down and pecked him on the cheek.

Doug sighed in defeat and nodded in agreement. Evie grinned and gave him a quick side hug. "Come on. Let's go do something."

 _Geddie:_

It was an ordinary day in Auradon Prep. The students sat in their classrooms, waiting for the bell that signalled lunch as they noted down the last few notes they needed for that lesson. When the bell finally sounded, Gil grabbed his books and his pencils before walking out and heading to his locker.

"Hey." He heard behind him. With his signature smirk, Gil shut his locker and turned around, his arms crossed.

"Hey." He replied.

"Wanna get lunch together?" Freddie asked, jerking her head towards the cafeteria door.

Gil nodded and uncrossed his arms, slinging one around her shoulder. "Let's go."

Freddie playfully shoved him a little but not enough that he'd have to remove his arm. Gil grinned and grabbed her hat off of her head, holding far above his head, out of her reach.

"Hey!" She protested, jumping up to try and get it, her pigtails bouncing as she did so. "Give that here."

"Hmmm, nah." Gil replied, smirking, finding it amusing as his girl tried to jump and get her hat with his arm still around her. "This is fun."

Freddie stopped jumping and lightly punched him in the chest. "You're a moron sometimes, you know that?"

Gil just smirked at her, enjoying it as she tried harder to get it.

"Ugh, fine." She said, finally giving up. "It won't suit you, though."

"Sure it will. I look good in everything." He put the hat on his head and smiled at her, "See."

Freddie took this opportunity to seize the hat and put it back on her own head. "Ha. Got it."

Gil pouted (although it was a very manly pout, because pouting is girly, unless he does it like a man). "Okay, fine, you win."

Freddie smirked. "I always do."

"Not true." Gil tried to argue.

"Oh yeah, tell me one time you bested me?" Freddie replied, her smirk growing as Gil tried and failed to think of something.

"Okay, fine, you always win. But I might be able to if I wasn't so distracted by how gorgeous you are." he flirted, with a wink.

Freddie snorted. "Sure. Let's go with that."

They walked into the cafeteria and grabbed some food before sitting down and munching away happily. As they sat in silence, devouring their food, Gil decided to be cheeky and steal a few crisps off her plate. Freddie slapped him in the arm for that. "Get your own food." Gil just smirked and stuffed them in his mouth, causing her to glare harder at him. She eventually rolled her eyes and kept devouring her sandwich.

When they were done, they put their trays on the dish return and began to head out, seeing as they had time before their next lesson.

Gil slung his arm around Freddie's shoulder as they walked out of the cafeteria, to which Freddie just smirked.

"You're it!" She yelled suddenly, removing Gil's arm and running away.

"Oh, it's on!" Gil called after her as he began to chase her. They ran outside, Freddie laughing evilly as she managed to stay ahead, always dancing just out of his reach. Eventually he did catch her but tripped in the process, sending them both crashing to the floor. Neither were hurt and it turned into playful wrestling match. They rolled around in the grass trying to pin the other down. Freddie eventually got him in a headlock, and sat on his back.

"I win." She declared, getting off of him.

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered, not to happy about the fact he was beaten by a girl. His dad would be really mad at him. Good thing he's locked up on the Isle.

"Would you look at that? Gaston's son was beaten by a girl!" A voice said behind them, "I thought Gaston was meant to be big and tough."

"Leave him alone." Freddie growled as she turned to the idiot talking about her man. What? She might not like lovey-dovey stuff, but he was still her man.

The idiot scoffed. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll shrink your head." Freddie threatened. The guy just laughed so Freddie lunged at him, on the verge of tackling him to the ground, however she didn't get that far. She was suddenly lifted into the air and slung over someone's shoulder.

"Let me go!" She demanded, hitting the back of the person who had picked her up with her fists. "Put me down! Let me at him!"

"Nope." Gil's voice came. Freddie kept hitting him as they walked away.

"Let me at him. I'll show him."

Gil just kept walking, although he was chuckling slightly at his girl's actions. Some people (mainly AKs) gave them weird looks whereas others (almost all the VKs), just snorted when they saw the two of them.

Finally, Gil put her down, once they were alone. Freddie crossed her arms when she got put down.

"Gil, what the heck? I was about to shrink that guy's head!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

Gil shook his head. "I couldn't let you. You'd get sent back to the Isle."

"I've done it before." Freddie muttered.

Gil raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I've done it before." she repeated.

He shrugged. "Still not going to let you."

"Ugh, fine." She exclaimed, "You don't have to be so overprotective."

"I don't want to lose you. You're the coolest girl I know. Almost cooler than me." He said, shrugging again.

Freddie smiled. This was a compliment coming from Gil. An amazing compliment actually.

"Thanks, Gil. Still need to work on your compliments though." She said, with a wink.

Gil pouted. "I thought that was good."

Freddie smirked, "Almost, Gil. Almost." They stood there for a while before Freddie grinned. "You're it!" She called, hitting his arm as she ran past him.

"Oh, come on!" Gil laughed, setting off after her again.

 _Huma:_

It was a beautiful morning in Auradon Prep and all the students were gathered in the auditorium as the choir sang their hearts out. The soloist for this paticular song swept her turquoise braids over her shoulder as she lowered the microphone having finished the song with a powerful end. The whole auditorium erupted into cheers, clapping and shouting loudly. The singer grinned and hugged the choir mates on either side of her before walking off the stage and heading down to their seats while the headmistress closed up the performance with a few words.

Once everyone was dismissed, Uma headed towards a certain pirate, who was sitting there, playing with his hook, his signature smirk on his face.

"Nice work, captain." He said, getting up.

"Thanks Harry." Uma replied, smiling, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Harry happily followed her, walking side-by-side with her. They chatted a little until Harry realised that he had to do something really quickly. "I'll be right back."

Uma rolled her eyes and waved at him. "Hey!" she called after him. Harry turned around, an eyebrow raised. "What's my name?" The inside joke made him grin.

"Uma." He replied with an exaggerated bow before heading away.

"From what I've heard, it's Shrimpy." a voice said behind her. Uma whipped around and saw three boys looking slightly menacing.

"Only Lady Mal gets to call me that." Uma replied, crossing her arms, not intimidated.

The guys laughed and looked at each other, as though agreeing on something.

"You're the one who attacked cotillion." The guy, who was obviously the leader, stated.

Uma rolled her eyes. "Yes I was. I was naive. I was evil. I've changed." She shrugged.

"Yeah, see I don't believe you have." He moved a bit forward and got in her face. "You might be able to sing a few pretty notes but that doesn't make you a good person."

Uma didn't back up and stared the guy in the face. "Yeah, I made some major mistakes in the past, but trust me when I say, I am no longer evil. I found what I want here. A chance. A chance to change. A chance to be who I want to be."

"Pretty words to go with a pretty voice. And you even have a pretty face." The guy said, looking her up and down. "But I think your heart is ugly."

Uma narrowed her eyes at him. "Then, you don't know what you're talking about."

The guy laughed. "Boys, why don't we show this villain exactly what we're talking about."

Before she knew what was happening, the dudes behind standing behind their leader produced buckets from behind an column and dumped their contents on her. Uma caught a whiff of what it was and got a flash back to when Mal did the same thing. And like that time, she screamed. The guys laughed and ran away, while Uma stood there, trying to get all the shrimp out of her hair. Harry suddenly came running up.

"Uma! I heard you scream. What happened?" He began to help her fish the shrimp out of her hair. "Who did this?"

Uma shook her head. "I don't know who they were. I just got the smell out a few weeks ago. No, no, no. I can't smell like shrimp again. That was bad enough on the Isle!"

"I'm sure it'll wash out now that we have decent showers and shampoo." Harry reassured her. "Come with me. We're going to find these morons who did this to you."

Uma nodded and took his hand as they went looking for the culprits. They didn't have to go far as the boys were stood by some lockers, laughing and high-fiving. Harry didn't even think twice as he rushed towards them, pinning one to a locker and pointing his hook at the rest at them.

"Who did it? Which one of you poured shrimp on her head?"

The guy he had pinned up to the locker just laughed. "What, did Shrimpy come crying to you?"

Harry pushed harder against him. "Don't you dare call her that."

"And I'm right here." Uma stepped into the light. "So don't think I can't fight you guys. I'm stronger than you guys seem to think I am."

The dude laughed again. "Look, anything you do to me just proves my point. You're a villain. Both of you."

Harry growled but Uma signalled for him to let the guy down. "Harry, he's right. Fighting him makes us seem like the villain. If we want to show that he's the villain in this instance, we better go report him."

Harry looked annoyed but, hey, captain's orders. He dropped the bully and began to walk away from the bullies.

"We don't even know his name." Harry said as they walked away.

Uma shrugged. "Headmistress will have a yearbook that we can search through."

The pirate nodded, "True." They looped arms and headed to Fairy Godmother's office. Turns out, reporting the incident was what they should have done in the first place (although, Harry did get detention for physical violence and had his hook confiscated for three weeks). The bullies were dealt with and Uma was able to wash the smell out of her hair so it was all good. Any other problems they had were immediately reported. In fact, they became good role models in Mal's anti-bullying campaign, often speaking up about how important reporting incidents were.

 _Janelos:_

It was a lovely morning in Auradon Prep, and the petite fairy was heading over to the tourney field to practice for cheer. She waved to her boyfriend who was training for tourney, blushing when she saw the wink her boyfriend sent her in reply. After stretching, the cheer captain clapped her hands, making everyone look at her. She smiled at them and told everyone to get into position. The girls went through their routine a few times before the captain told them to take a rest. Jane grabbed her water bottle and took a sip while watching Carlos run down the field, defending his team mates. She cheered for him as he blocked William from stealing the ball. Carlos shot her a quick smile before continuing down the field.

After practice, Jane got changed but as she began to walk away, she heard someone whispering.

"I don't think Jane'll want to do that, she's not very tough. We probably shouldn't invite her."

Jane felt a little hurt by that and left quietly, making sure she wasn't seen. She saw Carlos waiting outside for her and she went over to him. Carlos grinned at her and held out his hand, which she took happily.

"Hey."

"Hey." She leaned on his shoulder.

"Was cheer good?" He asked as they walked towards the school building.

Jane nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, it was hard work, but it was good. How was practice?"

"Too many push ups after the first game." He moaned, grinning in a joking manner.  
Jane laughed, "Yeah, Coach Jenkins doesn't mess around."

Carlos chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Come on, otherwise we'll be late for class."

The rest of the day went by as it normally would, classes, lunch, more classes, homework, dinner, free time, curfew. After dinner, Jane got on her laptop and began searching something up. What she had heard the girls say in the morning bugged her all day and now she was going to do something about that. She was going to show that she was tough. She found what she was looking for and smiled before closing her laptop. The next day was a Saturday so Jane figured it was as good a time as any. So in the morning, Jane put on some of her sports clothes and hiking boots and headed out. She ate a good breakfast before leaving. However, she didn't leave unnoticed. Carlos saw her and figured that she was probably up to something. It was something about her manner. So, Carlos followed her quietly, not letting her see him.

They walked for a long time, Carlos managing to stay out of sight. Finally they came to a stop. Carlos peered over to see what Jane was studying, which turned out to be a rock wall. The rocky surface looked quite easy to climb if you had the right gear and strength and it was fairly small, meaning it shouldn't take to long but Carlos didn't see any gear nor did he think that Jane would think it small, seeing as this sort of thing freaked her out. Deciding he should probably stop her, Carlos stepped out his hiding spot and headed towards Jane. He noticed that she was shaking as he got closer, obviously scared. He spoke as she gulped and placed her hands on the rock wall.

"Jane, stop. What are you doing?"

Jane whipped around. "Carlos! You gave me a fright. I'm rock climbing, of course!" she said with a smile, although it was obviously fake.

"Jane, you don't have a harness or anyone here to look out for you. That's not a good idea. And since when do you like rock-climbing?"

"Always." Jane claimed, although she was definitely lying, "And you're here now, so you can look out for me." Deciding to go before her confidence disappeared, Jane turned around and began to climb before Carlos could even get another word in. She was shaking quite badly as she inched her way higher and higher.

"Jane, come down. Please. You're going to hurt yourself!" called out Carlos.

Jane shook her head and kept going. "No, I'm fine. I'm tough enough to do this."

Carlos registered her words and it clicked as to why she was doing this. "Jane, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Come down. Please?"

Jane was shaking like nothing else but she still kept climbing. That is until she missed a foot hold and fell.

"JANE!" Carlos cried out, rushing towards her as she hit the ground.

Jane cried out in pain and looked at her leg, which was sitting at an odd angle. "My leg. I think I broke it."

"Okay, shh, it's going to be okay. Let me just call an ambulance." Carlos put an arm around his girlfriend and pulled her gently so that her head was in her lap, while he pulled out his phone with his other hand. Quickly dialling for an ambulance, he began to stroke her hair and whisper reassurances. Once he managed to get through to the ambulance he quickly told the operator what happened. They told him an ambulance was on his way.

"You're so lucky you didn't go up much further." Carlos said to her as they waited, "It could have been much worse."

Jane groaned lightly. "Can you tell me off later? Please?"

Carlos ran his hand through her hair again and nodded, "Yeah, sorry."

The ambulance arrived soon and got Jane into it, Carlos going in with her. The ride was short and at the hospital they managed to set her leg and put a cast on it. She was given crutches and once they decided she was good to go, she was discharged. Carlos took her back to Auradon Prep, Fairy Godmother driving the car as she was the first person Carlos alerted after the ambulance. They drove back and Carlos helped her to her dorm, promising Fairy Godmother he'd take good care of her.

"Why did you do this, Jane?" He asked, once he got her comfortable. Jane looked down, face ashen.

"I wanted to prove I was tough." she mumbled.

Carlos took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Why?"

Jane explained what she'd overheard and how it caused her to want to prove she was tough and that she could be brave. When she was done, Carlos cupped her cheek and smiled at her sadly.

"Jane, you don't need to prove yourself to anyone. You're perfect the way you are. Don't change yourself completely because of what a few people say."

Jane blushed lightly and mumbled an apology.

"You had me really worried, you know." Carlos said in reply, "I don't want to lose you. You don't need to show you're tough. You're tough in your own unique way."

Jane shrugged. "I suppose. I just want to be accepted."

"Jane, you are accepted. I'm sure those cheerleaders were just trying to respect your boundaries." Carlos explained gently.

"Maybe." She mumbled.

Carlos put a hand under her chin and gently lifted her face so that he could look her in the eye. He gave her a lopsided grin and just said, "You're perfect no matter what, okay? You don't need to prove yourself to anyone."

Jane nodded, blushing a lot. Carlos leaned in and kissed her gently. "Promise me you won't scare me like that again?"

"I promise." replied Jane, smiling at him, "I'm sorry, Carlos. I didn't want to scare you."

"I know. But if you want to go rock-climbing, try it with harnesses and a professional."

"Yeah, I'm never doing it again. Even before falling it was awful."

Carlos chuckled, "Good to know."

Jane eventually healed, although it took quite awhile and Carlos did spend the whole time fussing over her. She was allowed to cheer again a month or two after she healed completely, however, she had to work even harder to catch up. Everyone was impressed by her being able to catch up as quickly as she did. That's when Jane realised that she was tough, in her own way. And that way normally involved two feet on the ground.

 **Guys, I did it! I beat writer's block! Hopefully. Lol. But I'm back! Okay, Owllover34, here you go and thank you so much for helping me with the ideas. Also, thank you Grace for the idea for Devie.**

 **Okay, I don't know how long the next one will take me, but hopefully not as long as this one did. I hope you guys don't hate me.**

 **Request Counter: 12**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **It's easier to do this all at once. Thank you all of you for your sweet reviews and your kind words. Thank you for sticking with me while I struggled to write.**

 **Love you guys so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	60. Mates (Carlos and Lonnie)

It was such a beautiful day in Auradon, as the sun shine brightly, bringing light and warmth unto the people of Auradon Central. The birds called out to one another, singing a sweet song of nature and filling the air with a calming melody. The breeze was light and it made the leaves dance a waltz. The chatter of people filled the atmosphere with a sense of belonging and contentment.

And it all seemed to be mocking Lonnie.

The warrior sat on the high wall, next to the stone steps that led down to the lawn, where many students wandered to and fro, laughing, chatting, enjoying life. Lonnie blew a piece of hair out of her face and watched the world pass her by. She and Jay had gotten into argument. It wasn't a frequent thing, but due to both of them having quite a temper and both of them being incredibly stubborn, it escalated quickly. Lonnie had stormed out on him and gone to sit down so that she could calm down enough to think rationally and apologise where necessary. She took a few deep breaths as she stared straight ahead into nothing, trying to not cry. She felt a presence next to her and suddenly a freckled hand was in her face, holding a paper cup of what smelt like green tea.

Lonnie looked up to see Carlos standing there, a sympathetic smile on his face and a paper cup of his own. She smiled back weakly and took the cup from him. He sat down next to her and just sat in silence with her for a while. Lonnie inhaled the sent of the tea before taking a long sip.

"Thanks." She said, quietly. "How did you know?"

"Jane." Carlos answered, shrugging. Lonnie nodded, knowing that Jane would have told Carlos to come comfort her and how to do it.

"Want to talk about it?" Carlos asked finally, glancing at her.

Lonnie sighed. "It doesn't matter. I just want to clear my head." she took another sip of tea, looking towards the horizon.

"Well, me and Jane were going to go laser tagging, but, seeing as she's injured herself and can't go any more, do you want to join me instead?" Carlos asked slowly.

Lonnie looked at him and considered it for a second. "Sure." She said with a shrug, "Can't do any harm. Might help blow off some steam."

Carlos nodded in agreement and took a sip of his cup, before spluttering and going into a coughing fit. Once he stopped coughing he looked at the cup and then looked at Lonnie. "How do you drink this stuff? It's disgusting."

Lonnie couldn't help it and burst into laughter, making Carlos' disgusted face melt into a grin as well.

"It's an acquired taste." Lonnie explained once she calmed down, although she couldn't stop grinning.

"You're telling me. Ugh." Carlos threw his cup in the bin behind him. "Anyway, I'll pick you up at two. We can head out then."

"Sounds good." Lonnie replied, "Thanks again for the tea."

Carlos smiled and nodded before standing up and walking away, leaving Lonnie to finish her tea and sort out her thoughts.

As promised, at two Carlos arrived at Lonnie's dorm. He opened the door, knocking lightly. "Yo? You ready to go?" He asked the girl who was standing with her back to him.

Lonnie jumped at the sound of his voice and threw a pillow at him. "Ever heard of knocking?"

Carlos put his hands in front of his face and ducked as the pillow came flying at his face. "I did knock." He protested with a laugh, as he chucked it back.

"You're supposed to wait." Lonnie replied, catching the pillow and putting it down. "And I thought you passed Basic Chivalry."

"I did thank you very much." Carlos retorted, chuckling slightly. "With flying colours, I'll have you know."

"Hmmm, sure. Now apply what you've learned to real life."

Carlos did the most mature thing possible and stuck his tongue out at her. He chuckled and gestured to the hallway vaguely. "Ready to go?"

"Give me a sec." Lonnie replied, grabbing her phone and slipping it into her pocket. "Okay, let's go."

Carlos stepped back and let Lonnie step out of the room and lock the door before they began walking out. Seeing as it was such a lovely day, they decided to walk the thirty minutes to the laser tag arena. It was quite a nice walk and they talked most of the way, just joking and discussing and feeling like they were getting closer by the second.

Finally they arrived and Carlos gave the guy in front of the arena his pass. He nodded at them and they went inside, gathering their equipment and waiting for the instructor to let them know what to do. It was going to be a simple every man for himself, elimination game, meaning you'd be out if you get tagged thirty times and the winner was last man (or woman) standing. They were in a group of thirty and there were to be two games. They were led into a place full of mats and other things that could be used as barriers. People got into position and the game began. Carlos and Lonnie were immediately going for each other, while trying to dodge everyone else and tag those who got in the way of them tagging each other. Lonnie was quite good of at this game, dodging and ducking with incredible skill. She made down to the top five before she was out (Carlos was the eighteenth to go out). The following game went much better for both of them, as they formed a truce and worked back to back. Carlos made it to the top seven and Lonnie the top three, although it was much more difficult to dodge without Carlos having her back. The games finished, and the everyone headed out.

"I can't believe that a half hour session." Lonnie exclaimed as they left, "I was having so much fun, I didn't realise time was passing."

Carlos nodded, "I know. That was great. We need to do it again sometime."

"Yeah, definitely." Lonnie agreed. She then smiled and nudged Carlos with her shoulder. "Thanks, man. I needed a distraction."

Carlos smiled back. "Glad I could help. Want to get something to eat? On me."

Lonnie nodded and they went to get a sandwich from the nearby deli before heading back to school, munching happily as they talked about anything and everything. Carlos, being the gentleman he is (or just to prove his point of passing Basic Chivalry, whichever) walked Lonnie back to her room. When they got there though, Jay was sat outside her door, playing with his beanie while he waited for her to get there. As soon as he saw her, he stood up, looking down to the ground, obviously apologetic and ashamed. Carlos and Lonnie's smiles faded.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Carlos said, stopping as soon they had approached him. "See you guys later." And with that, Carlos departed leaving the couple to talk out what happened.

"Lonnie, I'm sorry." Jay began, fiddling with his beanie.

Lonnie gestured to the door with her head. "Come inside. It'll be more comfortable to talk this out in my room."

Jay nodded and they headed inside. Needless to say, their talk went pretty well and they made up, both feeling as though a big weight had been lifted off them.

The next day, Carlos ran up to Lonnie. "Hey, Lonnie!" She turned around and smiled as him, waving in greeting. "I'm glad you guys made up." Carlos said, "I was getting sick of brooding Jay, even if it was only for a couple hours that I saw him."

Lonnie laughed, "Yeah, I'm glad we made up too. Hey, you wanna go bowling on Thursday? I think it'd be fun to hang out again."

Carlos whipped out his phone and checked his calendar. "Yep, Thursday works. Meet you at the front entrance at three thirty?"

Lonnie nodded, "See you there."

Thursday came and went, the two having a blast (Carlos won by a landslide). They began to hang out more, at lunch times and after school.

One lunch time, they were sat down just chatting with their friends.

"I mean, it wasn't my best moment, but hey, better than Lonnie's bowling skills." Carlos was saying. The whole table oooohed as Lonnie turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh really? At least I could play laser tag." She shot back.

"Hey, I got seventh place." He defended himself.

"Because I had your back." Lonnie sipped at her water, smirking.

"Okay, so my shooting skills need some work." He agreed, crossing his arms.

"More like your dodging skills. You can't seem to defend yourself without a tourney shield." Lonnie's massive grin showed everyone else on the table that it was just good natured banter.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, who was it that didn't listen when I yelled at her to duck in paintball the other day?"

Lonnie searched for a retaliation before coming up with nothing. "Fine. You win. This time."

They locked eyes and stared each other down, trying to intimidate each other, although both ended up in laughter.

This was a normal exchange between the two and was becoming more and more often, making Jay a bit unsure. It didn't help that Carlos and Lonnie began hanging out a lot more than usual. One day, Carlos got up from his place on his bed and began heading out.

"Right, I got to go." he said, stretching.

"Going to see Lonnie again?" Jay was unable to keep the bitterness in his voice as he killed a few evil minions in his video game.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Jane." He replied. He rolled his eyes as Jay didn't respond and walked out. As he headed to the girls dorms, he saw Lonnie. "Oi, Lonnie. You have a jealous boyfriend situation. Want to talk some sense into him?"

Lonnie rolled her eyes and excused herself from her conversation. "Seriously?"

"He must really care about you if he gets jealous this easily." Carlos concluded before heading on his way.

"Oh, no you don't." Lonnie called after him, "You're coming too."

Carlos groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Do you want me to tell everyone about you slipping in water polo the other day?"

Carlos glared. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

"Love you too, bro. Now let's go." Lonnie grabbed her friend by the jacket sleeve and dragged him to his dorm.

Jay looked up as Lonnie and Carlos walked into his room and paused his game, seeing the look on Lonnie's face and the way she crossed her arms.

"Seriously, Jay?" Lonnie spoke up. "Jealous of your best friend? Do you really think I'd like him better than you? Have you seen him?"

"Standing right here!" Carlos exclaimed.

Lonnie didn't miss a beat. "I know."

Jay shrugged. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together." he said, causing Lonnie to roll her eyes at him.

"Seriously? We spend an afternoon or two together a day and we hang out in the same friendship group. Nowhere near as much time as I spend with you."

Carlos nodded, "I'm with her here."

Jay sighed. "Sorry, Lon. Guess I'm not thinking straight."

"Me and Lonnie are mates." Carlos said, "Like, dude, I have standards."

"Oi!" Both Jay and Lonnie exclaimed turning on him.

"What, so you're allowed to do that to me but I'm not allowed to back?" Carlos asked, "Talk about double standards."

"And that is your cue to leave." Lonnie said, pushing Carlos out. "I want to spend some time with my man."

She shut the door behind her, so that Jay and her could spend some time together. Carlos just rolled his eyes and walked away.

 **This one felt rushed and I am so sorry if it seemed it. Here you go, MelMartinezXOX. I hope I didn't mess up your beautiful idea too bad.**

 **Request Counter: 11**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad I beat it too. And thank you. You're so sweet.**

 **xez2003: I know! I'm back! (Finally) and thank you!**

 **Owllover34: I'm glad you loved it. I was afraid that some of them were a bit forced.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Good, I like being unexpected. Lol.**

 **Grace: Thanks love. And thank you so much for dealing with me during my bad writing moods.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: I'm going to do these in reverse order to what you did because I'm weird.**

 **Janelos: Hey, don't let my stories influence whether or not you go rock climbing. I just couldn't think of anything else, lol.**

 **Huma: If he murdered them he'd go back to the Isle unfortunately.**

 **Geddie: Yay! I was aiming for funny. I laughed while writing it.**

 **Devie: Omg, saame. Lol**

 **Jonnie: I dunno, I kinda just looked it up because my Chinese isn't exactly fluent, lol. Although I do speak a bit. Li Lonnie does sounds weird, but that would be her name in China. Lol.**

 **Bal: Be my guest. XD**

 **Guest.I: Thank you. Your words mean more than you could imagine.**

 **Eli201: Hey, I ain't stopping you. And I won't tell. Go for it. Lol.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Awww, I'm sorry. But I'm back now! So more heart attacks from cuteness. Yay!**

 **Kate cheese: Awww, thank you. That means so much to me.**

 **SusieBeast: Yay, happy dancing! And yes they are.**

 **ChordOverstreetFan: Audrey doesn't mean to, I'm sure. She just a gossip and, let's be honest, when you're half asleep, it's hard to control what's coming out of your mouth (although, that may just be me).**

 **Love you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	61. Harassment (Lonnie)

_Trigger warning: Contains sexual harassment_

 _Warning: mild swearing_

The sun rose over Auradon, making the sky a beautiful range of pinks, oranges and reds. When the first light of the day poured through the open window of a certain warrior, her eyes opened and she sat up, looking out the window with a smile. Her internal alarm clock tended to wake her up around sunrise and she was never disappointed. Seeing a beautiful sunrise in the morning tended to give her a positive attitude for the rest of the day. Her room mate's sleep wasn't bothered by light, so she was fine with Lonnie keeping the curtains open. Lonnie sat and watched the sun rise for about fifteen minutes before slipping out of bed and getting ready for the day. Her smile, which was one of contentment, brightened when she got a text message from her boyfriend as she was pulling on her clothes.

 _Big game today. We're going to kill out there._

With a grin, Lonnie picked up her phone and texted back quickly.

 _Yes, we are._

It was such a simple text, but the meaning for both of them was more powerful than anyone could comprehend. Lonnie put her phone in her pocket and grabbed her headphones. After some quick stretches, Lonnie began jogging, work out music playing through her ears. She jogged around campus, waving to the few morning people who were out and about at this time of the day. After her run, she went back to her room and had a quick shower before pulling on a simple shirt and sports leggings. She headed down for breakfast, greeting Jay, who was waiting at the entrance to the cafeteria, with a quick kiss. Jay slung his arm around her shoulders and they walked into the fairly empty cafeteria. After breakfast, the two parted ways, heading to their respective dorms to get ready for the day.

At lunch time, the R.O.A.R team got together to talk strategy, knowing that their opponents were clever and an incredibly strong team. Several people came up to them during the lunch hour to wish them good luck (and in some cases, flirt a little). Lonnie rolled her eyes as one of her team mates watched a girl walk away with big doe eyes. Lonnie sighed and snapped her fingers in front of him. "Oi. Focus. We're not going to win unless we're one hundred percent in the game. You can make gooey eyes at the girl afterwards, 'kay?"

He nodded in response and listened carefully as they discussed game plan.

"Everyone understand?" Lonnie inquire finally.

When everyone nodded, she put her hand in the middle. "Go team on three." The others followed suit.

"One two three GO TEAM!" They yelled, throwing their hand in the air before departing for their classes.

Lonnie was antsy for the game to begin so the day dragged by slowly, and she could barely focus in class as she thought about the strategies in her head over and over again. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Lonnie was off like a shot and went to put everything away before running up to her dorm so that she could grab her gym bag. She looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds and gave herself a little self-motivating speech. And by little, I mean two sentences. "You're your parents daughter. You're awesome." and with that, she left, going to the amphitheatre changing rooms.

All the cheerleaders in the changing room smiled at her as she began getting changed, so she smiled back, a little nervously.

"Hey Lonnie, you're going to kill it out there." Jane said, putting her day clothes in the locker and fixing her headband.

Lonnie nodded. "Thanks Jane. Although, these guys are really good."

Jane smiled at her, "Maybe, but do they have the almighty Lonnie Li?"

Laughing, Lonnie shook her head. "I guess you're right. You're the best Jane."

"Awww, thanks Lon. Now go kick their butts." Lonnie nodded and headed out, standing with the team as they waited for the beginning of the game.

"All right guys, we got this. We're strong, we're brave, we're a team. Who are we?" Lonnie said, turning to her team for the pre-game pep talk.

"Fighting knights!" The team called out.

With a satisfied nod, Lonnie tucked her mask under her arm and went to the middle of the arena to shake hands with the captain. One of the opposing team nudged his team mate and gestured to the Fighting Knight captain, who had her game face on as she walked back to her team.

"I'd like a piece of that ass." His friend snickered as they lined up, crossing sword points. This comment didn't go unnoticed by Lonnie but she chose to ignore, instead pushing down her mask and waiting for the signal. As they fought back and forth, Lonnie eventually found herself crossing swords with the idiot who thought demeaning a woman was funny. She hacked and lunged at him, dodging his moves with ease.

"Hey, girl. There are much better things you should be doing with sharp objects." He suddenly said, as they fought, "Like preparing dinner for the men."

Lonnie pushed forward further, ignoring his sexist comments. She lifted her leg and planted it on his chest in order to kick him away and give herself a bit more leverage with her sword.

"Woah, girl. No need to spread your legs for me." He smirked.

Lonnie growled and shoved her foot into his chest hard, causing him to stumble back and giving her enough time to flip away.

"Hmm. Flexible. I like that in a girl. Maybe you can show me a few more of those moves later." He said as he came towards her again. Lonnie began hacking at him again, jumping away from his lunges.

"Oh, sweet heart, I don't want to hurt you." He said, as he deflected another of her swings.

Lonnie found herself suddenly back to back with someone, knowing immediately it was Jay. "Jay, now."

Jay hooked his arms into hers and turned, lifting her as she kicked the idiot in front of her and the guy who Jay was fighting. This gave them a few more seconds, which they used to their advantage.

"Need a man to protect you then, darling?" The sexist prick said, as he exchanged hacks with Jay. Jay growled at him for speaking about his little warrior that way. "I can do that too, you know." The idiot kept talking, knowing Lonnie could still hear him from where she was fighting. Lonnie got her current opponent out and cartwheeled over to another one of her teammates to help him out. Jay kept pressing on the idiot in front of him, until someone else came after him, meaning he had to switch opponents quick. Luckily for him, Lonnie saw the other guy and was once again fighting with the sexist idiot.

"You know, I have another sword I wouldn't mind you seeing." He said, a smirk in his voice. Lonnie just knocked his sword out of his hand, forcing him out. She then turned her attention on other opponents and fought them with all her might and with Jay backing her up. Being the last two Fighting Knights versus only one opponent, they were able to defeat him with ease.

The whistle blew to signal the end of the game and the Fighting Knights cheerleaders and crowd went wild, cheering and clapping as loud as they could. Lonnie and Jay clasped hands and raised them in the air, whipping off their masks in the process.

The other team groaned, except for the dude who had been verbally harassing Lonnie. He scoffed and sauntered over to them. "You know that sports is a man's job, right? You girls should go back to what you do best. Cooking, cleaning and looking after babies."

Lonnie glared and put a hand on Jay's chest as he tried to advance on the guy. "He's just mad because he got his ass handed to him by a girl." Lonnie explained, not breaking eye contact with the moron in front of her. "His manly ego has been hurt."

Jay laughed and gave Lonnie a quick side-hug before heading over to the rest of the team, knowing that Lonnie had everything under control and she would put the guy in his place.

Lonnie smiled with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Aww, cat got your tongue?"

"Nope. But I wouldn't mind if you did." The guy replied with a smirk.

Lonnie scoffed. "Are you so insecure that you have to resort to treating woman as objects? I pity you." She was done with this guy and turned away so that she could go celebrate with her team. The idiot behind her decided this was a good time to go too far and slapped Lonnie's butt. Lonnie froze, as did most of the people in the arena. The bastard just laughed, obviously proud of himself but Lonnie wiped that smile of his face.

WHACK! She slapped him full across the face, seething. Jay had to be restrained by most of the team while Coach Jenkins along with a few other strong people from the crowd had to hold back Li'l Shang, as both were ready to pulverise the guy for disrespecting their girl. But she had it under control apparently.

"How dare you?! I have tolerated your demeaning comments and your sexist words and your inappropriate suggestions, but how dare you touch me?! What gives you the right to treat me like a piece of meat?! Don't you dare ever touch me again!"

The asshole rubbed his face where she'd hit him. "She hit me! They should get disqualified for that!" He demanded.

Lonnie panted as she shook her head. The referee crossed his arms and shook his head.

"If anyone should be disqualified, it is you. For sexual harassment." The coach of the opposing team grabbed the asshole by his shirt collar and dragged him away.

Lonnie's chest rose and fell rapidly as she panted from her anger. Jay pushed by the team and wrapped his arms around her, leading her out. As soon as they were alone, Lonnie burst into tears and held on to Jay as though her life depended on it.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I've got you." Jay said, soothingly rubbing her back. Lonnie sobbed into his shoulder, grasping his shirt in her hands. She was obviously trying not to, but the tears kept pouring out. Finally, her sobs slowed down and she took a few deep breaths.

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm being ridiculous." she said, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "And I know, I shouldn't have slapped him."

"Are you kidding me?" Jay exclaimed, "Lonnie, you should have smashed the guy ten feet under. You had so much self-control. I was surprised."

Lonnie smiled a little. "I'm still being silly." she sniffed, looking down as she wiped her eyes.

Jay raised an eyebrow and gently raised her chin, looking her dead in the eye. "Lonnie, you just got sexually harassed. You have the right to cry. It isn't weakness."

Lonnie nodded. "I know. I'm still sorry. It's just him doing that makes me feel so..." she couldn't find the right word.  
"Vulnerable? Unsafe?" Jay suggested.

Lonnie nodded. "Yes. Both. It scared me. It shouldn't have but...it did."

"It's okay that it scared you." he said, wrapping his arms around her again. "Even if it doesn't seem like much to other people, I can understand why it scared you and made you feel unsafe."

Lonnie wrapped her arms around him again, burying her head in his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm just so glad that I have you and not some asshole who objectifies me and treats me like property rather than a person."

Jay smiled sadly and rubbed her back as they stood in silence, until Lonnie was ready to go join the celebration. The incident stayed with Lonnie for a while, making her feel scared and vulnerable but she knew she had Jay to lean on. The asshole was expelled from the R.O.A.R team and apparently, suspended for a few weeks from his school, although if he stepped his toe out of line ever again, he would be expelled. Jay kept a close eye on Lonnie, taking good care of her after what happened. She was strong, so she managed to pull through, but some things stay for a lot longer than anyone can see.

 **Here you go Randomn. And don't worry. I wouldn't put it as anything but serious.**

 **Sexual Harassment is a serious issue that both men and women go through and it is not okay. I've never been sexually harassed but I have had something a little bit similar, and I know that it scared me as well.**

 **(Bit of a trigger warning here) When I was thirteen, I was walking to maths class, when this guy came up behind me and put his arm around my shoulders. I wasn't comfortable with this, so I tried to pull away, but he held me too strong. He tried to kiss my cheek and I managed to just dodge and break free. That was almost two and a half years ago now, but it still scares me a little when I think about it. I've always been afraid that if I couldn't break out of his hold around my shoulders, how would I be able to defend myself if it was something worse next time?**

 **There is no such thing as a small incident of sexual harassment. If something happens to you like it did Lonnie, speak up. It is not something you should keep quiet about. Ever. Make sure you have someone to support you, because it can be traumatising.**

 **Request Counter: 10**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks. They are pretty cool.**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad you laughed and I am so happy you loved it!**

 **Grace: I agree. Best friends that are so close that you are like siblings are the best. I have a few of those myself.**

 **ChordOverstreetFan: Yeah, it really is never intentional.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: I would review back, but if I'm honest, I can't be bothered. Your reactions are perfect though.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Well, ten more to go, and then you can give me a few of your ideas. :)**

 **Eli201: Your characters are awesome. Don't be upset if I don't add all of the information though.**

 **Randomn: As I said before, I would never see it as anything less than serious. It's a pretty scarring thing that can happen to people.**

 **Love all you guys! Stay amazing!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	62. Cuddles (Jonnie)

The sun rose up over Auradon on a beautiful Saturday morning and poured it's golden light into the bedroom in a small apartment in a small neighbourhood near the edge of Auradon Central. The warrior turned over in her sleep and curled up closer to her husband who had his arm wrapped around her waist. The professional tourney player squeezed her tighter to him, neither of them awake yet. When the sun hit her eyelids, the woman raised her head and opened her eyes, smiling a little. She shifted her eyes to focus on the sleeping form next to her. Her husband looked relaxed and peaceful as he slept, something she rarely saw in him, as he seemed to be constantly worrying, constantly on edge. A result of his terrible upbringing. But they had come a long way since then, and he had grown into a good man. And now, at twenty three years old, he was curled up in bed with his wife, something both of them had wanted for quite a while. Lonnie smiled and brushed a stray strand of hair out his face, letting her finger trace his jaw, before slowly pulling her hand away and watching him sleep. They had come back from their honeymoon a few days ago and it stilled amazed her that she and Jay were now married. Married. She'd always dreamed of it but the fact that it was now a reality excited and scared her all at once. She smiled as Jay stirred in his sleep, mumbling something inaudible. Lonnie slowly turned over to check the clock next to her bed, to see the time. It was 8:33, a lot later than Lonnie would normally ever be asleep. Lonnie tried to gently remove herself from Jay's grip but he only pulled her closer.

"No." he mumbled, obviously waking up now. "Stay."

"Jay." Lonnie giggled, "It's eight thirty. I need to get up."

"It's a Saturday." He murmured not opening his eyes as he pulled her back. "Stay."

Lonnie rolled her eyes and grinned, "Jay, I need to go on my morning run."

"No." He stated, mumbling into her shoulder as she was pulled completely against him, "No you don't. Stay." He kissed her lightly on the shoulder before opening his eyes lazily and staring at her.

Lonnie smiled and kissed him quickly on lips. "Come on. Let me go. I'll be back soon."

Jay shook his head and tightened his grip. "It's Saturday. Stay and cuddle with me."

Lonnie laughed lightly, "What am I going to do with you?" she said, relenting as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Love me forever." He replied, tangling their legs together. "You did promise to do that."

Lonnie smiled softly. "Yeah." She responded, her voice almost a whisper. She pulled one of her hands away from his back and traced the side of his face with it. "I did, didn't I?"

Jay grinned lazily, "You did. Now stay." his voice was on the edge of a whine as he buried his face in the side of her neck, placing lazy, butterfly kisses on it.

Lonnie pulled away slightly, "I'll still love you if I go for a run, you know."

"Don't care." Jay replied, "I want to have a lazy cuddle day with my wife."

Lonnie's heart fluttered at the words 'my wife'. It still seemed surreal. All of it.

"You're impossible." She replied finally, with a slight giggle as she cuddled up to him again.

"Hey, you married me." He said, grinning as his fingers traced patterns on her back.

Lonnie nodded. "Damn right I did. Best decision I made in my life."

Jay smirked and nuzzled her nose. "You're the best decision I've made too."

Lonnie grinned and kissed him lightly, which he happily responded too.

They did finally leave bed, but only because Lonnie complained that she was getting hungry and that he'd already denied her of a decent early morning breakfast. Jay had relented (happy wife, happy life, right?) and let her go. Although, after lunch they spent all day cuddled up on the sofa watching movies or curled up in bed, listening to the other breathe as they drifted off to sleep.

 **IDon'tEvenKnow, here you go. I'm sorry it's so short though. But, hey, Jonnie fluff.**

 **Request Counter: 9**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I feel bad for her too. But wow, you read fast. Lol**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	63. Siblings Fight (Carlos and Jay)

The day in Auradon was bright and sunny. The birds sang their sweet melody of nature and the leaves rustled in the gentle breeze. People in towns went about their business as normal and the students of Auradon Prep went about their normal activities. One of these students was a white-haired boy who was just pulling on his shirt after tourney practice. His best friend, a long haired, tan skinned teen, came up behind him and grabbed him, with a "Boo!". The white-haired boy jumped whipped around to see his friends laughing at him.

"Oh ha ha, guys." Carlos said sarcastically as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Real mature."

Jay laughed and turned to his friends. "I have to admit, he's less scared than he was on the Isle. He was a complete wimp."

The tech-wiz felt hurt by what his friend said but chose to ignore it, knowing it was true.  
"If you came up behind him back then, he'd scream and pee his pants." The rest of team bellowed in laughter. Carlos got mad, thinking Jay had taken this joke a bit too far, and turned around.

"You try living with Cruella DeVil your whole life. Maybe then you'll realise why I was such a 'wimp'." He snapped.

Jay snorted. "I think living with Cruella should have toughened you up. Living with my dad did." The ex-thief pulled on his beanie and began walking out, Carlos and anyone who was changed following him.

"Yeah, and you always had to prove it." The dog lover muttered as they headed towards the lunch area, where many students were happily doing homework or chatting or just chilling.

"Hey, if you weren't so pathetic, maybe I wouldn't have bullied you." Jay replied. The others began nervously shifting. This seemed to be going further than friendly banter. It seemed like a serious fight. Obviously these two boys had a difficult history and it was now surfacing. Not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, the other guys made their excuses and headed their own ways. Neither of the VK boys took any notice, just glaring at each other.

"Pathetic? Who was it who held a hell raiser in his house despite the fact that his mother would actually kill him if she found out? Oh yeah, me." Carlos snapped, reminding Jay of the party he held not long before their first adventure together.

Jay scoffed. "We had to bully you into doing that." he reminded, "You wouldn't have done it otherwise because you have always been the wimpy nerd who was never evil enough to do anything right."

That struck a nerve and Carlos dropped his bag, lunging at Jay. They fell to the ground, each trying to throttle the other and pin him to the grass below them. They heard a girly laugh and snort behind them followed by a "Again, guys?" which was soon followed by a gasp of shock and horror.

"Jay! Carlos! Stop!" Carlos had his hands wrapped around Jay's throat and had the upperhand.

"How's this for wimpy and nerdy?" He demanded, squeezing Jay's neck as hard as he could, his anger rising up in him every second. Jay tried to pull him off and suddenly could breathe when Carlos was ripped off him.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Mal demanded, hauling Jay up and pushing him away from Carlos, who was being held back by Evie.

"He's called me a pathetic, wimpy nerd." Carlos explained, "And I'm sick of having to take this abuse from him. That's all he ever does. He keeps pulling me down and I've had enough."

"Maybe if you weren't so pathetic, you wouldn't have to take it." Jay shot back, causing Mal to slap his arm.

Carlos growled at him and shook Evie off. He scooped up his bag and stormed off, heading straight for the castle, Evie calling after him.

"Of course you run. You never could stand up for yourself!" Jay yelled after him.

"Jay!" Mal and Evie exclaimed in shock and slight disgust. "What the hell?"  
Jay ignored them and grabbed his stuff which had fallen on the floor and storming off towards the gym.

"What just happened?" Evie asked Mal, looking lost.

Mal shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they just need to cool off. They'll be fine by tomorrow." She sounded more as though she was trying to reassure herself than anyone else. "Right?" she added, as an unsure afterthought.

"I dunno, M. I guess we can only hope."

At dinner time, after collecting their food, both boys headed over to the normal table of their friendship group. They got there at the same time and both glared at each other before turning around to go sit elsewhere, with other friends. Everyone else turned to Mal and Evie for explanation, but both of them just shrugged and watched the boys walk away a little sadly. Mal put her head in her hands and looked over at Evie, who put her hand on Mal's shoulder comfortingly. Seeing their friends fight was really hard for both of them. Ever since they became friends, the Core Four were inseparable. Maybe they had the occasional spat but it was always resolved so quickly that it may as well have not been there. Never had it gone to the extent that it had now. The glares the boys kept sending each other showed that this was pure anger. And that was some of the most difficult kind of anger to resolve. Mal looked up at Evie and shook her head at Evie's questioning look, which Mal knew to be asking 'Should we go talk to them?'. Evie understood that Mal shaking her head meant 'Not yet. They still need to cool off. Maybe with time.' They turned back to the conversation that was among the group, although they didn't miss the worried glances their friends kept shooting towards them and the boys.

After dinner, the boys left at separate times, both boys heading back to their rooms, Carlos being the first one to reach it. He sat down at his computer and pulled his homework out to see what he had to do, what he could use the computer for and what he needed to do on paper. He ignored Dude who asked him why he was being so moody, which wasn't like him. When Jay walked in, he glared at him and put his headphones in, before turning back to his work that was in front of him.

Jay seemed unphased and just grabbed a duffel bag, shoving a few things into it before leaving, slamming the door behind him. The white-haired son of Cruella DeVil just kept writing, trying to act not bothered.

The girls were sitting in their room, chatting when the door barged open and Jay came in, dumping his bag on the floor.

"I'm staying here for the night." He proclaimed, sitting down on Evie's bed. Both of the girls looked at him for a few seconds, multiple emotions and thoughts going through their heads before Mal spoke up.

"Okay, I get that you two are mad at each other, but this is ridiculous."

Jay shrugged. "Not my fault he's such a moron."

Both girls looked at him shocked. "Right, out." Mal said, standing up. "I don't care how mad you are, I do not want to hear you talking bad about _your best friend_."

The ex-thief shook his head. "He's not my best friend. Not any more. Come on, if you and Evie were fighting, I'd let you stay in my room!"

"And we'd all get in trouble." Evie replied, "You know girls and boys are not allowed in the same room after curfew. Just go find somewhere else to stay for now."

"It's not that we wouldn't let you stay if we could. But we can't." Mal explained, while Jay looked hurt (although, hurt for Jay looked murderous). She sighed and sat down next to him. "Look, Jay, we're worried about you and Carlos. You've never had this intense of a fight. I mean you guys are practically brothers. What happened?"

"I should have guessed you girls will just want to talk about _feelings._ " Jay spat the word 'feelings' as though it was a disgusting taste on his tongue. "I'm going to go stay with one of the boys."

"No, Jay, please." Evie cried out as he grabbed his bags to leave, "Stay until curfew. We don't mind."

Jay ignored her and left, leaving the door wide open. The girls ran to the door and called after him, trying to get him to come back. Evie looked at Mal sadly.

"Did we just make matters worse?" she asked, worry lacing her voice.

Mal looked confused, lost and worried all at the same time. "I don't know, E. I really don't know."

Jay stayed with some his tourney team mates that night, but he got up early so that he would be gone by the time they were awake. He went down to get some breakfast, only to find Carlos already there with the rest of the morning people. Jay took his tray and sat on the other side of the cafeteria, where he was soon joined by a few others. Carlos glared at the back of Jay's head, pushing his food around, having lost his appetite from the bitter anger he felt when his eyes fell on the son of Jafar. He excused himself from his friends and went to the tourney pitch to get ready for early morning training. Ben was there when he got there.

"Hey Carlos. You okay, man?" He asked his friend, concerned.

Carlos shrugged and began changing out of his day clothes and into his tourney gear. By the time Jay walked in, Carlos was done, so he grabbed his shield and stalked out, his head held high. Once everyone was outside, Ben began conducting the practice, Coach Jenkins wanting captains to take more responsibility for practices (Jay took Ben's place when he was unavailable). When they played a game, Ben put Jay and Carlos together, not realising the tension between them. As the game went on, the tension between the two was more and more obvious. When Jay got near him, Carlos 'accidentally' hit him with his shield, and Jay would often 'accidentally' cause Carlos to go sprawling to the ground. This kept happening throughout the course of the game and the others on the VKs team decided to try and keep them away from each other. Finally, Jay obviously got very angry when Carlos once again 'accidentally' hit him with the shield and he lost his cool, tackling Carlos to the ground. Ben ran to break it up, most of the team following him. Ben pulled Jay off Carlos (who was lucky as no damage was done) and pushed him away.

"Okay, Jay, Carlos, with me now. The rest of you, practice your passing." He took Jay and Carlos by the shirt sleeves and marched them into the changing rooms, the boys having no choice but to follow. "What the heck was that out there?" he demanded.

Both boys, who were sitting as far away from each other as they could, shrugged, neither wanting to explain. Coach Jenkins came thundering into the changing rooms. "My two best team players. Fighting. What the hell is wrong with you two?!" He turned to Ben, "Get back to practice. I'll deal with these knuckleheads."

Ben nodded and left, leaving Jay and Carlos to the fury of Coach Jenkins. "What was that out there?" He demanded, "You two have the strongest bond on the whole team. And yet, you're fighting. Physically. On the pitch. During a game. While on the same team." He took a deep breath. "I don't know what's going on with you two, but whatever it is, leave it behind in the changing rooms. Out there you are a team, all personal issues are left behind. I don't want to see any sort of conflict between you two. I'm going to leave you two in here for the next five minutes. You either sort it out, or fight it out. Just leave it in here and don't take it to the pitch."

The boys mumbled a quick "Yes Coach." so Coach Jenkins left, leaving the two glaring boys.

"Well, is there anything you want to say to me?" Carlos finally said, expectantly.

"Me?" Jay demanded, "I have nothing to say to you. You're the one with the problem."

Carlos scoffed, "You know what, I'm sick of this. I get nothing but abuse from you. Just because I let you walk all over me on the Isle, it doesn't mean I will here." He got up to leave.

"Yeah, well, at least I am no longer stuck with a pathetic friend who always needs protecting." Jay replied, crossing his arms.

Carlos balled his fists but didn't react. He just left the changing room. Jay followed on later. They managed to go through the rest of the practice without trying to kill each other. But when Mal and Evie got a hold of what happened, they were not happy. Deciding they had given them enough space and time, Evie went to talk to Carlos and Mal went to go knock some sense into Jay.

Evie found Carlos in his room, headphones in, watching something on AuraTube. She pulled his headphone and closed his laptop, causing him to begin yelling in protest.

"Can it, Carlos." She pulled up a chair, "Talk to me. What happened with Jay?"

Carlos shrugged. "I just...he keeps calling me a wimp, telling everyone how afraid I was of everything, and I just snapped. I can't deal with the constant string of abuse."

Evie nodded understandingly, "I guess he was taking his jokes too far."

Carlos sighed and nodded, "Maybe. But I shouldn't have to deal with it any more. I'm going to ask Fairy Godmother if we can swap rooms with someone else."

Evie shook her head. "No, no, no. Jay is your brother. Do not give up on him. After all we've been through as a family? Don't do that to us, Carlos."

"Me? Jay is the one who has been treating me like crap!"

Evie put her hand on Carlos's shoulder to calm him down. "It's both of you. You need to let him know he's taking a joke too far, rather than fighting with him."

Carlos looked like he was going to argue. "Fine. But only if he apologises first."

Evie put her head in her hands. "That is not how forgiveness works." She sighed. "But fine. Fine." She knew that that was the best she was going to get from Carlos, so she left it be. She sat back in the chair and began to chat with Carlos, wondering if Mal was having any luck with Jay.

Once she finally located him (in the gym, punching a punching bag), Mal approached him and grabbed his shirt, pulling him away. All the other guys began saying "Ohh, Jay is in trouble!" But fell silent when Mal shot them a glare.

"What do you want?" Jay questioned, shaking Mal off once they were alone.

Mal sighed, "Okay, this has gone too far. Fighting in practice? This isn't like you. Or Carlos. Why are you guys so angry? What even happened?"

"Carlos got mad because I made a joke. Not my fault he attacked me."

Understanding filled Mal's face. "Oh. Okay, I think I now understand what happened."

"Huh?"

"Jay, you took a joke too far and seriously hurt him, causing him to go into defensive mode and he would have attacked you because he wants to prove to you that he is not weak and he is not a wimp."

Jay blinked at her for a few seconds. He'd told her two things. Wow, she really knew them well, if that was all she needed to get that from two things. "Okay, so?" he finally asked.

"So, go apologise."

Jay looked affronted. "What? No way."

"Jay, don't you dare lose your brother over something as stupid as this." Mal warned, "This has gone on too long. Put your pride on the shelf. Go."

Jay looked like he wanted to protest, but by the look of Mal's face, she was serious, and you did not want to make her mad when she was that serious about something. So Jay gave in and began walking to his room, Mal following him. When he got there, he walked in, looking and feeling awkward.

Carlos looked up when Jay came in and they just stared at each other blankly for awhile. Evie and Mal exchanged exasperated looks and waited for them to say something.

"Look, dude, I'm sorry." Jay finally said, "You should have told me that I was taking the joke too far. You're my brother. I don't want to upset you."

Carlos smiled, "You're forgiven. I shouldn't have snapped like I did. But yeah, you're the bigger idiot here."

Jay laughed. "Sure, let's go with that." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

Carlos stood up and took his hand before giving a bro hug. "Brothers."

The girls smiled and Mal gestured for Evie to follow her out of the room, leaving the two with some catching up to do, whilst muttering at how stupid the boys could be. Jay pulled out of the bro hug and rubbed his knuckles on Carlos's head, causing Carlos to shove him and the two ended up play wrestling on the floor, rolling around and making Dude groan in annoyance when he woke up to see them. At least everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as the Core Four could be anyway.

 **RockThat, here you go. Sorry it took so long. I've been busy studying (I'm still in highschool) so I haven't had time to write. But I managed. Hopefully the next ones won't take so long, but who knows, it's me we're talking about. I am unpredictable.**

 **Request Counter: 8**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: (chapter 62) I'm glad you liked it. And I agree completely. She was incredibly brave and she handled him incredibly well, considering. (chapter 63) Jonnie forever indeed!**

 **Grace: (chapter 62) Thank you. And yeah, it's sickening to think people are capable of this sort of thing. (chapter 63) Yass, Jonnie cuteness is some of the best!**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Go ahead and kill him. He deserves. And I am so sorry that you had to go through that. You are so brave to have gotten through that. I can understand why that would scare you! That so awful.**

 **BillaB: Aren't they just?**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I'm glad you liked my story and as for your requests, what will most likely happen is your OCs in my universe. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. There are still eight more to go.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	64. Part of the Family

The fluffy white clouds floated slowly along the vast periwinkle sky, and the gentle breeze whispered among the trees. The flowers released their fragrant aroma into the atmosphere and the sound of soft chatter from the people of Auradon could be heard. Castle Beast, the castle in which the King of Auradon and his family lived, stood tall and proud, the flags on the turrets flapping in the breeze. Inside, the servants went about their day, doing their jobs to the best of their ability, as they always did. This peace, however, was soon interrupted by the angry shout from one of the two princesses.

"Lia, don't you dare!" Eighteen-year-old Maesi yelled, as she ran after her older sister, who was now going on twenty. "Don't you dare!"

The king and queen, who were sitting in their office, debating about something quietly, looked up as Lia burst through the door.

"Lia, what have I told you about barging in? When you're queen-" Mal began, but she was cut off by her over-excited daughter (sometimes, you'd never have guessed she was twenty).

"I know, I know, but I thought you should know that Maesi has been-"

"Lia Claire Gold, don't you dare tell them!" The younger princess had just run in as well.

Mal and Ben exchanged looks. "Both of you, sit. Now." Lia and Maesi rushed to obey, knowing that they would be in big trouble if they didn't. They perched delicately on the edge of the sofa in their parents office.

Ben sighed and rubbed his face with one hand, his wedding ring catching the sun and glinting ever so slightly. "Why are you two running around the castle and yelling? You are both legal adults now. Not to mention princesses who are next in line for the throne. Lia, if you're to be the next queen-"

"I should know when to stop acting like a child, because if I do act like one, the kingdom won't ever think I'm adequate. I know." Lia interrupted, her voice slightly resigned, then she perked up again. "But Maesi has been keeping secrets from us."

The queen spoke up this time, "Then, that is her business. We don't prod. We don't pry. Secrets are secret for a reason." Having kept many things from people in her past, due to her horrendous upbringing, Mal understood that sometimes secrets need time and trust before they are told.

Maesi gave her mum a thankful smile.

"I know, mum, but she-"

Ben stepped in, "Lia, that's enough." he said firmly, but not unkindly, "If your sister wants to keep secrets, then let her keep secrets. As long as they're not bringing harm to others."

Lia huffed. "Fine. I just thought this was something you should know." She got up from the sofa underneath her father's coronation portrait before quickly kissing her parents on the cheek and leaving to go sort out some of her duties (her father liked to give them to her slowly, so she had time to adjust). Maesi, however, stayed put, staring at her feet.

"You okay, princess?" Queen Mal asked her daughter, sweetly, putting down her pen, which had she had just picked up. Maesi continued staring at the wooden floor beneath her feet. Ben glanced at Mal, a little worried. Mal and Maesi had always been really close, as Maesi's sudden appearance of magic when she was four made her rely on her mother for help more often than not. Ben didn't mind of course, seeing as Maesi still came to him for her problems and such, and they were still really close, but in this instance, he could tell that she needed Mal more than him. He non-verbally asked Mal if he should leave them be but Mal shook her head and got up. She sat down next to her daughter and placed a hand over one of Maesi's.

"Want to tell me what's going on?" Mal asked, gently rubbing her daughter's hand and moving a piece of lilac hair out of Maesi's face. Maesi looked up, her mismatched eyes slightly wide and staring, the way her dad's often did in moments of vulnerability. She sighed softly and looked back down at the floor.

"It's nothing major. Well, it is kinda, but nothing bad." Maesi said, a little quickly.

Mal tilted her head a little, "Want to tell me what _it_ is?"

Maesi smiled a little. "I uh...I have a boyfriend."

Ben's head shot up as Mal gasped, both in shock and happiness. "You what?" Ben demanded, trying to make sure he heard her right.

"I have a boyfriend." Maesi repeated, smiling a little brighter.

Ben looked as though someone had slapped him in the face whilst Mal just grinned. "Well, who's the lucky boy? Have we already met him? Is he good to you?" Although she was playful and nudging her daughter as she asked the first two questions, Mal's face was completely serious when she asked the third one.

Maesi smiled and nodded. "Yes. He's very good to me. Don't worry. I mean, we're both a little strong headed and have had a couple spats but nothing serious. And yes, you have met him. Dylan."

"Dylan?" Mal looked a little surprised, "Dylan Cooper?"

Maesi nodded, smiling brightly, "Yeah. We started dating about two weeks after we met."

"But that was nearly two months ago." Ben finally spoke up, recovering from his shock that his baby girl had a boyfriend.

Maesi nodded again, "Yeah. We've been dating for a while. But Dylan asked we keep it a secret from you two. Just for a bit. He didn't think you'd like me dating a werewolf."

Mal laughed, "Princess, you live with a part beast, a woman who can turn into a dragon, and your father when he hasn't had his morning coffee."

"Hey!" Ben cried, acting hurt, although his grin gave away the truth.

"I think a werewolf will be easier for you." Mal continued as thought there had been no interruption.

Maesi giggled. "True."

"So..." Mal began, slowly.

"So what?" Maesi narrowed her eyes in suspicion, a little unsure and scared about what her mother was going to say.

"So, when is he coming over for dinner?"

"What?" Both Maesi and Ben exclaimed in surprise, shocked by this sudden plan that neither of them had any idea about.

Mal laughed, "Come on, he's your boyfriend. I want to be able to welcome him properly into the family. We love the kid anyway."

Maesi smiled, "Really?"

Mal nodded, as did Ben when Maesi looked at him for conformation. "We visit him once a year and we keep in regular contact. So it's about time he came round for dinner." Ben confirmed.

Maesi grinned and hugged her mum. "I'll invite him over tomorrow." She got up and hugged her dad before leaving.

"Now do you guys see why I wanted to tell you?" Lia appeared in the doorway.

"Lia, what have I told you about eavesdropping?" The king sighed.

Lia pursed her lips, looking a little guilty. "Uh...sorry?"

Mal snorted. "Get in here, baby bear. We need your help with this."

The next day came around and Dylan, who had agreed to come to dinner, was shaking with nerves.

"What is it with boys and acting terrified when meeting the family?" Maesi asked to no one in particular as she and Dylan walked to Castle Beast.

"Your dad is King of Auradon. If I do something wrong, he can easily send me back to the Isle." Dylan exclaimed, his tone raising.

"No one is going to send you back to the Isle!" Maesi snapped, "They already know you! So just grow a pair and come on. We're going to be late."

Dylan growled, a mixture of frustration and nerves, but followed her anyway. Maesi shot him a warning glare, her normally mismatched ice blue and ice green eyes glowing an emerald green. Dylan stopped growling, regaining control of himself and continued up the path. Maesi had come to collect him before going to the castle, knowing that he would probably need some sense knocked into him. Thank goodness she did, as otherwise he probably would have been on edge for a lot longer, which would have created a less than pleasant dinner time.

Finally, they reached the large castle, the flags flapping lazily in the wind and the windows reflecting the evening sun, giving the old building a warm glow about it. One of the servants was polishing the door as they walked up to the front entrance of the castle.

"Lovely work you're doing there, Edward." Maesi greeted the servant warmly.

The servant bowed, "Thank you, Princess Maesi."

Maesi smiled at him as he opened the door for her, before gesturing for Dylan to follow. Dylan gulped and walked in, grabbing Maesi's petite hand in his large one for reassurance. Maesi lead noticed that his hand was slightly sweaty and rolled her eyes with a giggle. "You've met them before. You seriously don't need to be nervous." She told him comfortingly.

Dylan nodded, "Yeah, you're right." He took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this."

Maesi gave his hand a quick squeeze before pushing open the drawing room door. Mal and Ben were sitting on one of the sofas, chatting quietly, looking just as, if not more, in love as they were when they were teenagers. Lia was sitting opposite them, her fingers moving as though playing a piano, meaning she probably had a tune in her head and was itching to play it. They all looked up when the doors opened and Dylan and Maesi walked in.

Mal immediately got up to greet them. "Dylan, it's so good to see you again." She said kindly, holding out her hand, which Dylan shook. "I trust you're doing well."

"I am, thank you, Your Majesty. All thanks to you. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Mal smiled at him, "Well, I know what it's like to grow up on the Isle. It's not something I'd wish upon anyone."

Dylan nodded once and let go of her hand, feeling a lot calmer. Ben was now stood behind Mal and he gave Dylan a quick, but firm handshake before letting go.

Lia bowed her head in greeting. "It's nice to finally meet the boy my sister has been raving on about."

Maesi shot Lia a look, "I haven't been raving on about anyone."

Ben gave both the girls a look meaning that they shouldn't start anything. Both girls cast their eyes downwards briefly before looking back up at him, the sign of an apology.

"So, how's Hayley?" Mal asked after gesturing to the sofa for Dylan and Maesi to sit down. She sat down opposite them as he answered her.

"She's doing well. Enjoying school from what I've managed to decipher from her letters." Dylan answered.

Ben smiled, "That's great." Before anyone could say anything else, the cook came bustling in.

"Dinner is served, your Majesties." She said with a curtsy.

"Thank you, Mrs Levi." Mal said before standing up. "Shall we?"

She took her husband's elbow once he stood up and began to lead the group towards the dining room.

The others followed, Maesi taking Dylan's scarred hand gently in her own. Everyone sat down at the table and waited for Ben to start eating before tucking in, as it was seen as respectful to wait until the king had begun (although, they only used that rule when guests were around, seeing as Ben wanted their family life to be as normal as possible). Polite conversation was made over dinner, mainly about Dylan and his life (however, the topic of the Isle was avoided as much as possible). Finally, after dessert, Ben suggested everyone goes into the dining room.

"Actually," Mal spoke up, "Do you mind if I talk to Dylan alone for a bit?"

Ben nodded in agreement and shooed the girls out, following them into the drawing room.

"What did you want to talk to me about, your Majesty?" Dylan asked once everyone had left, watching Mal take the seat next to him.

"Just call me Mal." She replied, "And I was wondering if you were okay. You seemed incredibly on edge today."

Dylan shrugged, "I guess it's the classic 'boyfriend scared to meet his girlfriend's parents' thing."

Mal hummed in agreement, "I suppose so. But you know us. So why were you so nervous?"

Dylan sighed, knowing that there was no hiding from Mal. She knew when people were hiding things. "I just wasn't sure how well you would take the fact that I'm a werewolf. I mean, I'm dating your youngest and I'm a werewolf."

"I'm a dragon, Maesi has magic and Lia can turn into a part beast. Literally." Mal replied, gently, "So you being a werewolf makes no difference. As long as you promise to keep our daughter safe and happy. Otherwise you will have to deal with all three of us girls and Ben when he's on beast mode." Her tone was slightly joking, but Dylan knew that she wouldn't hesitate to follow through on her threat.

Dylan nodded, "I promise. I really care about your daughter. I'm not planning on letting her go any time soon. And I will protect her with my life."

Mal smiled and hugged him gently. "I know you will. Now let's go into the drawing room before they wonder where we disappeared to."

The rest of the evening went smoothly and soon, it was time for Dylan to leave. He and Maesi stood just outside the castle, the stars twinkling above them like a thousand diamonds.

"I'm glad you came over." Maesi was saying.

"So am I." Dylan replied, "I guess your family like me."

Maesi threaded her arms around his neck. "They do really like you. You're practically part of the family."

"Part of the family." Dylan repeated quietly. "I like the sound of that."

Maesi smiled, "So do I."

After a sweet goodnight kiss, Dylan headed back down the path and waved at his girlfriend, who was watching him go. She waved back and sighed happily. Whatever they were worried about before telling her family that they were together no longer mattered. He really was a part of the family.

 **Eli201, here it is. I wasn't sure if Cooper was his middle name or surname so I went with surname because it worked best for the story. Sorry if it was his middle name.**

 **Also, I'm so sorry guys. You must honestly hate me so much right now. I just haven't had any motivation to write. It came to the point where I was thinking about closing the requests permanently. I'm so so sorry. But I've managed another chapter and I promise I'll try to add more within the next two weeks (as I am on holiday). I hope you guys don't hate me.**

 **Oh yeah, one more quick thing before I respond to reviews. As I was writing this story, I realised that I kept having to go quite far back in the reviews to get to the OC description. So in order to keep it all organised, I have started a book called Send me your OCs. So if you want an OC to be a part of your request, or you have sent me OCs before, please put them in that book so that I can find them easier. Cheers.**

 **Request Counter: 7**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Littlecrazyfairytalegirl: Awww, thank you. And don't worry. There is Bal coming. Somewhere along the line.**

 **Grace: I'm sorry the story was sad but unfortunately, that is the harsh reality of life. It can be really sad. And thank you. That means so much to me.**

 **Fishy314: Yes there are. Don't you worry.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes it was a really serious fight, wasn't it? And sorry. I must have missed it when writing the responses. Thank you for reviewing, though!**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm so happy you loved this story. And yeah, I have two brothers so fights can get pretty serious. Thanks for reading!**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I love the Jay/Carlos brotherhood as well. They really are like brothers.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. That's terrible. Feel free to PM if you want to talk to someone about it. But yeah, fights can make things awkward.**

 **FlatFox: Jay can be a bit of jerk sometimes but he is still a great guy. Glad you loved it!**

 **Love you guys even if you hate me (which I'm sure most of you do because of my lack of updates).**

 **SparkyGurl**


	65. Chillin' Like Villains (Mal and Carlos)

The sun was shining over the castle-turned-school. The students of said school were all enjoying their Saturday, doing various activities, both in the school and in the town nearby. Some were in the library, others in the student lounge, some were outside and others still were in their dorms. The chatter of the many students filled the air and gave it a lively atmosphere. Many people were excited about a concert that was coming up soon, and others were talking about the tourney game that had happened yesterday, which had gone well, the Fighting Knights having won, even if it was only just. One of the tourney team members was sat in his room, playing a video game calmly, relaxing after a rigorous day full of people continuously coming up to him and wishing him good luck, strategies and, of course, the actual game itself. Suddenly his dorm door opened and in walked one of his three best friends, looking tired. She flung her self onto his bed, without so much as a 'Hey.'

"Nice to see you too." Carlos called over to her, looking at her with a grin.

Mal smiled, "Hey Carlos. Sorry. I'm just exhausted."

"What, you don't have your own bed?" He asked, pausing his game to turn to her and talk to her properly.

Mal groaned, "My dorm is now a workshop for clothes. I think I needed to get away from the constant whir of the sewing machine."

Carlos chuckled, knowing that Evie had been working incredibly hard lately, so it was no surprise that she was still working on a Saturday.

Suddenly, Mal sat up, brushing a hand through her slightly messy hair. "When was the last time we hung out?" she asked randomly.

Carlos raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Breakfast." He responded. The gang always had meals together, unless it was game season for the boys, which is when they would eat with the team.

Mal shook her head. "No, I mean, just you and me. The two of us. Just...chilling."

Carlos regarded her for a few seconds. "Not in a while, I guess. We're normally with the gang."

Mal hummed in agreement. "Want to hang out now?" She asked, suddenly.

The white-haired boy shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Anything specific you want to do?"

"How about you hand me a controller and I show you how this is done." Mal said, a smirk forming on her face as she held out her hand.

"Oh, bring it on, dragon girl." Carlos said, handing her the second controller.

"Oh, I'm bringing it, puppy boy." Mal took it from him and sat next to him. Carlos smirked at her and set up the game to make it multiplayer. Soon they were smashing buttons as they raced to defeat one enemy after the next. "Come on, Carlos, I've killed so many more goblins than you have. Keep up."

Carlos glared at her. "I would if you left any for me to kill." He said, quickly smashing the defend button as a goblin attacked him.

The daughter of Maleficent cackled and made her character shoot the goblin with her bow and arrow. "This is too easy."

"Wait till we get to the boss." The son of Cruella De Vil replied, as their charaters ran to the next level. The two VKs spent almost two hours getting through the majority of the levels. And then they hit the boss.

"Will this guy just die already?" Mal demanded, as her character got hit again. Carlos grunted in agreement, caught up in the game and attacking the boss with all his might. Suddenly the words 'You Lose' flashed up on the screen. "NO! Come on! We had him!" Mal screamed.

Carlos chuckled, "I told you the boss was impossible. I've been trying to pass him for almost a week now."

Mal groaned. "Ugh. I still whipped you though." She said, happier as she smirked at him.

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Sure. Wanna try again?"

"I think I've had enough frustration for one day." The purplette replied with a laugh.

Carlos chuckled, "Okay. Fair enough." He took the controller off her and switched off the console. He turned around to see Mal had flung herself on his bed and was blowing a piece of hair out of her face. He rolled his eyes at his sister's weirdness.

"Where's Dude?" She asked, looking up at him.

"He went for a wander. He's still the campus mutt."

Mal nodded. "I'm bored. Wanna go get ice cream?" she said, sitting up.

"Are you paying?" He replied.

"Sure. Why not?" Mal got up and walked towards the door, Carlos following suit. They walked into to town, talking about this and that until Mal finally said something that stumped Carlos.

"I'm sorry."

Carlos stared at her for a few seconds. "Why?" He finally asked, trying to figure out what she might be apologising for.

"I bullied you for years, just because you were weaker and less evil than everyone else." Mal looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness and guilt.

Carlos sighed sympathetically as they walked into town. "Mal..." he began, "We moved past that ages ago. It doesn't matter anymore. Besides, had you not bullied me into doing the hell-raiser, our path would be incredibly different. We may not even be friends like we are today."

"I still made your life worse. As if it wasn't already hell for you to be living with your mum."

Carlos chuckled, "Yeah, it was. But still. We're past all that now. The past is past. Forgive, forget. The truth is-"

"We ain't seen nothing yet." Mal finished, laughing as she finished the line of the song, changing the words very slightly.

Carlos laughed as well, nodding. "Exactly. We have our whole life ahead of us. And there is nothing we can do to change our past. So we might as well accept it, learn from it and push forward into a brighter future."

"Brighter for sure." Mal said, jokingly glaring at the sun, "I almost miss the dull grey clouds we used to have."

Carlos snorted, "Wow. You can take the girl out of the Isle, but you can't take the Isle out of the girl."

"You sound like Dizzy." Mal retorted, with a laugh. Carlos laughed again and they turned a corner towards the ice cream shop. When they reached the shop, Carlos opened the door and gestured in.

"Lady's first." He said, with a smile and a mock bow.

"Go on then." Mal replied, grinning.

"Last time I checked, you were the one made a lady of the court." Carlos retorted easily.

Mal frowned, "Huh. Guess you're right. Well, then, thank you." She gave him a small mock curtsy and walked in. Carlos followed her and went to the counter, ordering a bowl of chocolate ice cream, whilst Mal ordered a strawberry cone. The faerie paid for both and the two VKs headed out into the streets again, happily munching away on their ice cream.

"You can never go wrong with ice cream." Carlos said, as he took another bite.

Mal nodded in agreement and they began to walk, talking about life and how it was treating them. They walked around town for ages, occasionally going into various shops, looking at the merchandise before leaving again. Neither one of them were much of shoppers though, so they ended up spotting the bowling alley and going in.

"I swear that dog is going to kill you one day." Mal was saying, as she threw her bowling ball, knocking over two of the three pins that were left standing.

Carlos shrugged as he stood up and grabbed his ball. "It was an accident. We laughed about it afterwards."

"And the fact that you're laughing with a dog is a little creepy." Mal replied, sitting down.

Carlos threw his bowling ball, getting 6 pins down, and, unfortunately, a split. "Hey, I'm not the one who fed him the truth gummy."

"But you are the one who asked me to make it." Mal retorted. "I wouldn't have been there at all, if it weren't for the fact that you so desperately wanted it."

The white-haried boy rolled his eyes and picked up his bowling ball again. "Well, it all worked out for the best didn't it?"

Mal nodded, "I suppose so. Oh come on, you call that a throw?"

Carlos glared at her as his ball went into the gutter. "My aim has never been perfect."

The daughter of Maleficent snorted, "Far from it, by the looks of it. Move, my turn."

Carlos did an over-exaggerated bow as Mal picked up her bowling ball and threw it. It rolled down and knocked down eight pins. She turned around and bowed. "Voila. That, my friend, is how you throw."

Carlos clapped sarcastically. "Great. Inspired."

The purplette responded the maturest thing she could do. She stuck her tongue out at him. Carlos responded with equal maturity and pulled a face at her, with the full works: crossed eyed, scrunched up nose, tongue out.

Mal laughed as she picked up her ball from the ball return and threw it, knocking down the other two pins that were left standing. "And that is how it's done."

Carlos rolled his eyes and they continued with the game, Carlos slowly beginning to catch up with Mal.

"Okay, how did you win?" She demanded after they left.

"I guess I'm a fast learner." He said, smiling.

Mal scoffed, "Okay then. Well, I am starving. Burgers on me?"

"Nah, you paid for the ice cream and the bowling. I'll get the burgers." Carlos replied.

"Fair enough, I guess. Thanks."

Carlos smiled and nodded before heading into the fast-food restaurant, Mal tailing him. They ordered some burgers and fries to go and waited patiently for it to be ready. Once the food was ready, they took the bags with a smile and left the restaurant, heading back to the school.

"Want to see if we can beat the boss when we get back?" Mal asked, in between mouthfuls of burger.

Carlos nodded, "Heck yes. You know, if we..." he began talking strategy, Mal listened intensely, injected her own ideas and countered a few that she didn't think would work. They eventually came up with a plan and were soon sitting down in front of Carlos and Jay's TV, screaming at the screen.

"NOW, NOW, NOW!" Mal yelled at Carlos, who immediately did what they discussed he would do. A few hits later and the boss was defeated.

They cheered and whooped. "Yes!" They high-fived.

"We make quite the team, Oscar." Mal said with a smirk, using Carlos's middle name to annoy him.

"Indeed we do, Bertha. Indeed we do." Carlos stared at the TV for a few seconds. "Next level?"

"Heck yes." The faerie replied, readying her controller.

They went at it for a little while longer, attacking and destroying their enemies. Eventually, they called it a day, figuring they played enough video games that day. They sat in silence for a while before Mal spoke up.

"Fancy making some cookies? I'm hungry and there is nothing like double chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven." Mal said, "I mean, we'd have to bake them first, but it's worth it."

Carlos shrugged, "Sure. Why not? As long as we're not making a love potion this time."

Mal snorted, "Yeah, that caused enough trouble the first time around. I do not want a repeat."

Carlos laughed as well and they headed down to the student kitchens. They grabbed the ingredients they needed and began to bake. Once they were ready, Mal placed them carefully in the oven. "Now, all we have to do is wait."

"This has to be the worst part of baking." Carlos complained, wanting cookies.

Mal laughed, "Yep. Clean up time. Come on." Mal grabbed some of the utensils they used and began washing up while Carlos put away the ingredients. Finally, much to Carlos's delight, the oven dinged, and Mal pulled out a tray of fresh, piping hot cookies. She placed them all gently on the cooling rack before grabbing two plastic tubs so that she and Carlos could share with Jay and Evie, or anyone else they wanted to share with. Once everything was clean and the cookies equally distributed, the two VKs began to walk back to their dorms. Before they parted ways, Mal turned to Carlos.

"You know, I had fun. We need to hang out more often, just the two of us."

Carlos nodded in agreement. "As much I love the group, it is kinda nice to just have some one-on-one time with one of my best friends." He agreed, nudging her slightly.

Mal smiled at him. "We'll organise something soon. Well, I'm tired of you now, so I'm going back to my dorm."

Carlos snorted, "It was nice to see you too." he said, before fist-bumping her and heading to his own dorm.

They were good friends those two, despite their rough history. It just goes to show that sometimes, just because you didn't like each other in the past, it doesn't mean you can't like each other later on in life. They were close, like brother and sister close, just as they were with the other two, Jay and Evie. If there was one thing that family was, it was inseparable.

 **Here you go malxcarlos4ev. I know it's probably not exactly what you wanted but it was what I was willing to do, as I did say in the intro to this book. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.**

 **Request Counter: 6**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Thank you so much, Vero. I'm so happy you loved it and thank you so much for continued support. It means a lot more than words can say.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Haha. Very funny**

 **Owllover34: Well, 6 more to go! Also, if you would send me Kamryn and Tommy on my OC book, that would be great since it's been so long since you last sent me their bios. Thank you!**

 **Grace: Thanks love. And arggggh. You know what I'm like. It's going to be hard to get something out of my head once it's in it.**

 **LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	66. Injury (Jonnie)

Rarely ever was there a bad day in Auradon. The sun was almost always shining, the breeze was usually gently and never bitterly cold, the clouds were few and a fluffy white, and the sky was a beautiful blue almost everyday. Today was not one of those days. The rain poured down upon Auradon hard. While some were pleased, mostly farmers and the like, a lot of people were downright miserable. It was meant to be the day of a friendly R.O.A.R game between two schools (friendly, as in winning didn't get them any closer to the finals. Kids from rival schools tended not to be friendly during a match, unless, of course, they were some of the most prim and proper princes in Auradon Prep). People always got excited about any game, friendly or not, so the fact that it was a miserable day just dampened everyone's spirit. Except the R.O.A.R captain. Her spirit was not easily dampened. Besides, R.O.A.R is an indoor sport. It's not like everyone would be soaked. The warrior was in the amphitheatre working on some flips and spins and fine-tuning her sword technique. She hoped she could perform just as well in the actual game as she was doing now. She ran at the wall and went a few steps up it before flipping down and landing on her feet. She smiled as she heard clapping behind her, knowing exactly who it was.

"Hey Jay." She said, as she removed her mask and turned around.

Jay smiled at her and put his hands in his pockets. "Ready for the game?"

"Are my parents heroes of China?" Lonnie replied, tucking her mask under her arm.

Jay laughed and nodded. "We're going to crush it."

"It's meant to be a friendly." Lonnie reminded him, as she walked over to him, swinging her sword slightly. "So don't get overly competitive."

Jay laughed again, shaking his head slightly, "Come on, Lonnie, you know me. Since when am I competitive?"

The daughter of Li Shang and Fa Mulan snorted, "Oh I don't know. All the time?"

Jay looked as though he was going to protest and then he closed his mouth and smirked. "Okay, fair point."

Lonnie just laughed and rested her arm on his shoulder. "Lunch?"

Jay nodded and the two of them headed off to the cafeteria where they joined their friends at their usual table. It was a large table and sat many people, although it wasn't necessary as not everyone always sat at the table at the same time. Sometimes they would sit with other people, or sometimes one of the couples would go sit with just the two of them, and sometimes there was conflict which led to people not sitting with each other. But today it was the majority of the gang, except Freddie, who had decided to join the other VKs at a different table, and Mal and Ben, as they had duties to attend to. Lonnie and Jay greeted their friends happily, Lonnie sitting herself down between Jordan and Audrey, whilst Jay sat next to Ally, with Doug on his other side. Lonnie picked up her sandwich and took a bite before joining in the conversation between Audrey and Jordan meanwhile Jay struck up a conversation with some of the guys at the table.

Eventually, one by one, everyone slowly left the cafeteria, everyone having something to do or somewhere they needed to be. Jay and Lonnie were some of the last to leave, heading out to do various activities before getting ready for the game that day. As Lonnie pulled her hair into ponytail so it was out of the way, she looked outside, watching the rain patter down on her window, smiling slightly. There was a knock behind her, snapping her out of her trance. She turned to the open door of her dorm and smiled as Jay stood there.

"We should get going to the amphitheatre. What are staring at anyway?"

Lonnie blushed a little and looked down before looking out the window again. "The rain."

The ex-thief hummed, "Yeah. Dreary, isn't it?"

Lonnie shook her head. "I've always found it beautiful."

Jay looked at her curiously, "Really?"

The warrior nodded, "Yeah. It something that gives life. It fills streams, waters crops, clears the air. And the way it sits so beautifully on windows and flowers and leaves afterwards, it's just breath-taking."

Jay blinked a few times. "You have an interesting way of looking at things, you know?"

Lonnie shrugged, "I guess so."

"Come on. We don't want to arrive after the team." Jay said, gesturing towards the door.

Lonnie hummed in agreement and followed him out. They headed to the amphitheatre, arriving just before the rest of the team. They stood as their opponents filed in and then got into position. Lonnie looked over at Jay just before the signal to lower masks. She gave him the tiniest of nods, which he returned. And then the whistle blew. Lonnie got lost in the fight, lunging, parrying, dodging, flipping. She got several opponents out and swung her sword like a pro. Soon, she found herself back to back with Jay, both of them using each others movements to help them with their own. Eventually she and Jay separated as Lonnie took a running leap at the wall, bounced off it, just as she had earlier that morning. However, she must have miscalculated the height of the jump and found herself unable to flip on her feet in time. She landed on the ground, hard, with a cry of pain as she felt something in her wrist snap.

The whole game stopped and first-aiders quickly rushed into the arena. Jay was by her side in seconds. "Lonnie! What's wrong?"

"My wrist." She managed to whimper out. "I think I've broken it."

Jay took her wrist gently in his hand and inspected it, trying to be gentle. "Yeah, I think you might be right."

Jay was asked to move out the way so that the first-aiders could assess the damage. He stood back and watched as they did what they needed to do before leading her off so that she could get to the hospital. Jay handed Carlos his sword and helmet before following the first-aiders. He sat next to Lonnie as she was driven to hospital, whimpering in pain at her wrist. Jay frowned at the sound of her pain, wishing he could do more to help her.

At the hospital, Jay was forced to sit and wait in the waiting room while they x-rayed and put on a cast on Lonnie's wrist. She finally came out, her right wrist bandaged in Auradon Prep blue and smile on her face. "Thanks for waiting."

"No problem." Jay replied, "Does it still hurt?"

Lonnie nodded. "A little. And this hand is basically useless for the next eight or so weeks. You're going to have to take over as captain for a while."

Jay nodded, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

Lonnie smiled at him and held out her good hand for him to take, which he did, standing up. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulder. "It's really annoying because it's my dominant hand."

Jay gave her a sympathetic smile, "I'm sure everyone will happily help you out. I know I will."

"Thanks Jay." She said with a grin, as she nudged him slightly. Jay grinned back and bumped her lightly. Lonnie laughed and lay her good hand on Jay's hand, which was draped over her right shoulder. She then lay her head on his shoulder and sighed, content, despite the annoyance her wrist was going to cause. It was dinner time by the time they finally made their way back to school. They headed straight into the cafeteria, and went to the line. As Lonnie picked up her tray which had her food on it, Jay just took it from her, holding his in one hand and hers in another.

"I got this. Go ahead and sit down." He said, nodding over at the table where the group had already gathered. Lonnie smiled at him gratefully and together they walked over to table. The group greeted them, all inquiring after Lonnie's health and her injury. After reassuring everyone that she was fine and telling the story to those of how she got injured to those who weren't there, she picked up her fork and started attempting to eat, which proved to be difficult without a knife. She huffed in annoyance, and put her fork down. Jay, who had sat next to her, sweetly gestured for her to pass him the food. When she did so, he cut it up into edible pieces for her and pushed it back to her. She gave him a grateful smile, although it was a little forced, as she was annoyed that she couldn't even eat her dinner without assistance. Jay put his hand over hers, which was balled in a fist as she stared at the food miffed, and gave it a quick squeeze, causing her to look up. He sent her an understanding smile before returning to his own food. Lonnie began eating her own food slowly, grateful that Jay hadn't said anything, which would have drawn more attention. He understood that she probably felt humiliated so by doing everything with gestures, people were less likely to notice, as they were absorbed in conversations. That didn't stop him from taking her tray to the dish return though. But that could easily be put down as him being a gentleman and not just because she was injured, so she wasn't as bothered by it.

Jay walked Lonnie back to her room, wanting to spend some more time with her before curfew and joined her inside when she invited him in. The first thing she did, as Jay hung on one of her bedposts watching her, was pick up a pen and attempt to write her name with her left hand. It came out basically unreadable. She groaned with frustration and threw her pen down. Jay let go of the bedpost and walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder as she covered her face with her hands and sighed heavily. He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

"You just have to practice, Lon. Your handwriting probably wasn't much good when you first started writing. So you can teach yourself to write better with your left." He consoled her. Lonnie sighed again and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." She dropped her hand. "It's just so frustrating."

Jay nodded, "I can understand that, but you have to try. You have all of tomorrow to practice."

"No, we have R.O.A.R practice in the morning, so I have the afternoon." She shot back, "I'm still coming to the practice, even if I can't fight. And I want to be the one who decides on which reserve takes my place. You're only taking over the captain duties that actually involve holding a sword."

Jay nodded, "Okay. Still, an afternoon to try and make your handwriting legible. You'll be fine. And if not, I'm sure someone will happily duplicate their notes for you."

Lonnie rolled her eyes and nodded. "True. But you're right. I just need to practice. It'll be difficult but-"

"But when has that ever stop you?" Jay finished, smiling.

Lonnie huffed out a laugh, "Yeah. Exactly." She picked up the pen again and tried again, and again. Jay watched her, admiring her determination and her ability to keep going and refusing to give up. Eventually, after what felt like a long time, and yet no time at all, Lonnie finally managed to scrawl her name with her left hand and it be readable. Jay smiled and nudged her (he had sat down next to her by this time, encouraging her when she looked like she was on the verge of giving up). Lonnie looked up and smiled. "I did it!" She exclaimed with a laugh. Jay laughed as well and nodded, giving her a side hug.

"Not as fast as I do with my right hand, nor as neat, but it's doable." Jay nodded in agreement before kissing the top of her head. "Thanks Jay, for not letting me give up." She thanked, looking at him, smiling.

"Like I'd ever let you do that." He replied. She smiled and lay her head on his shoulder.

The next day, Jay was waiting for her by the cafeteria doors for breakfast and opened the door for her. She smiled and thanked him. They went to grab some breakfast, Jay offering to carry her food again. She let him carry her bowl but she took her own drink, seeing as he was already having to carry two bowls and a drink of his own. Jay relented and let her, setting to bowls down at the four man table they usually sat at for breakfast. They didn't bother with the big table at breakfast as they tended to be the first up in the mornings so none of their friends were there. They ate in comfortable silence and then went out to the gym. Lonnie couldn't do much, so she spent a lot of her time watching Jay train, admiring his brute strength, stamina and ability. After the gym, they both headed to the amphitheatre. Coach Jenkins was proud of Lonnie for getting changed with the team and staying to watch despite her broken arm, whilst Li'l Shang was worried that his sister might hurt herself, but Lonnie was stubborn and did everything she was able to do. Jay looked at her with pride as she continued to train the boys (who seriously need to follow her example of not letting an injury get in the way of training).

Lonnie spent the rest of the afternoon after that trying to get her left-handed writing almost perfect. Jay basically had to drag her out for dinner when her roommate told him that she refused to leave until she made it perfect. He laughed as she whined at him, causing her to pout at him. Jay carried her tray again, although he didn't have to cut anything up, as it was soup that night. Lonnie stared at her cast frustrated as she ate.

"I didn't realise how much I relied on that hand." she mumbled as Jay put their trays on the dish return.

"You're doing great." He told her, before kissing her goodnight and going to hang out with some of his friends.

The next morning, after helping her with carrying breakfast, Jay walked with her to her locker and grabbed her books for her.

"Jay, I'm not a damsel in distress!" She exclaimed, not having slept much as her wrist caused it to be slightly uncomfortable.

Jay smiled, "I know. Hold out your arm." Lonnie obeyed and Jay tucked her books in her arm one at the time, making sure she had it secure before smiling at her. "I know your not useless. It's just easier if I help you a little."

"I don't need help." She muttered. Jay just smiled and kissed the side of her head.

"You just don't want to admit you do. Come on, you're the one always telling me that asking for help isn't weakness."

Lonnie stared at him, glaring slightly for a while before sighing. "Fine. But only where I need it. Then and only then."

Jay laughed. "Okay. If you so wish. But I'm still carrying your meals for you."

Lonnie looked like she was going to protest but Jay cut her off, "Come on, I like doing that. Lets me show all the boys what standards they need to live up to. Because, let's admit it, I'm awesome."

Lonnie laughed and pushed him gently, "You're so vain."

"Yet, you still date me." he retaliated.

"Lucky me I guess." She smiled, "I have lessons. See you at lunch."

Jay raised his hand in goodbye before setting off to his own lessons.

Jay, as well as a few others, continued to help Lonnie while she dealt with her dominant hand being in a cast. She did end up basically being ambidextrous for writing though, having trained herself to write with her left hand. Finally, after nine weeks, she was able to remove the cast and go back to normal. She came back strong and even more determined. Jay never stopped looking at her with pride, as his little warrior carried on with life, as though she'd never been injured, the day after she had the cast removed. She was stubborn and he loved that about her.

 **Here you go jonnievibes, hope you loved it. This took me longer than I thought as I've been really busy these past few days. But no writers block or lack of motivation, so I think I'm finally getting over my really bad writers block. (Let's here a YAYYY! lol)**

 **Request Counter: 5**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I loved writing it so much, so it makes me happy when readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The video game was one of my favourite parts as well.**

 **DragonEmperor999: No, there really isn't. And if there is a situation that calls for him, I'm sure I will use him. :)**

 **Eli201: First off, sorry. I guessed her age. And thank you! I am so glad you liked the way I presented them. I was afraid I didn't do too well. Also, you might want to read the reviews. You've created a new OTP for a lot of people. They compliment Maesi and Dylan a lot, so you should read it.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: No plans yet, but I'm sure their creator will request more of them when the requests reopen (fingers crossed. I love them too!)**

 **Guest.I: Happy to be back. And as for shipname, I don't know. I quite like Daesi, but I think I'll need to ask their creator.**

 **Maniey: Isn't she just? Her creator is so good at OCs.**

 **Kate cheese: I'm so happy to be back! Writers block sucks, I'm telling you. And no, it's not bad that you're happy for these new characters. Their creator did an amazing job at creating them.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: (Did you mean to review twice?) I hope I can too. (HINT HINT Eli201)**

 **Grace: So basically every bit (except the bowling) was your favourite part? Lol ;) And who am I not the death of, lol.**

 **xez2003: Okay, okay, I get it. I need to stop being so hard on myself XD (I feel attacked. Lol, jk. I feel loved)**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Ben isn't judgemental and always gives people the benefit of the doubt (As he did in Descendants with the VKs), so he would be accepting. And I'm glad you liked the cute sibling moment.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Yeah, it is weird, isn't it?**

 **FlatFox: I think it was meant to be a burn. Lol. I'm glad you found it funny. Making people laugh is one of my favourite things to do.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	67. Guardians

The atmosphere was electric, excitement buzzing through the air in the old castle, which had been turned into a school by the previous king. Pupils rushed around the school, holding little slips of paper in their hands. They were gathering with friends and pulling out pens as they finished the address on their envelopes. The slips of paper were placed in the envelopes and then, in packs, the students went to the school post office (which wasn't used as often now that there was such thing as the internet). Then, groups dispersed and began asking other friends if they too were going on this trip.

When Evie got asked this question she just smiled and said she was thinking about it, before rushing to her bedroom. Once in her dorm she closed the door and sighed, looking over at Mal who was staring at the slip of paper in her hands. The purple-haired faerie looked up with a tight smile before looking back down at the paper.

"You got one too, huh?" Evie said, sitting down next to her on the bed.

Mal nodded, looking a little sad. "Yeah. Pretty much everyone did. But no big deal right? It's just Neverland." She didn't sound convincing nor convinced herself.

"Yeah." Evie didn't sound very convinced either. The door opened and the boys walked in, also holding the slips of paper.

"Figured you guys might be here." Carlos sat on Evie's bed, while Jay just hung on one of the posts of Mal's. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

They all unconvincingly shook their heads when the door opened and a little mass of colour came barrelling in.

"Oh my Auradon, Evie, look!" Dizzy jumped up and down as she showed Evie the slip of paper. "We get to go to Neverland!"

Evie smiled sadly, not wanting to burst the happy girl's bubble, but what choice did she have? "Diz...I don't think we can go."

Dizzy's face dropped, clearly disappointed. "But...why?"

The other three older teens all looked at each other, none of them wanting to explain. Luckily Evie was ready to explain. She put her hand gently on the shoulder of the younger girl. "It says we need the signature of a legal guardian. The only legal guardians we've had are our parents but since they're on the Isle, they had their parental rights stripped when we arrived here."

Dizzy's shoulders sagged. "I guess I understand. I really wanted to go to Neverland though."

"We all did Diz. But, you know what? We'll have just as much fun here. I know most of the school is taking three days to go to Neverland as a school-wide treat to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this place being converted into a school, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate it our own way? We can have fun here!"

The others forced a smile, trying to look genuine.

Evie sighed, "Okay, I know it's not Neverland, but we can at least try."

Dizzy nodded in agreement, "Yeah, true. Anyway, I have to go. I'm hanging out with some friends. Bye!"

The younger girl skipped out of the room, leaving the Core Four in Mal and Evie's room.

"This isn't about Neverland is it?" Mal said speaking up, looking at the others. Jay and Carlos shrugged while Evie looked down. Mal sighed a little and put down the slip she was holding. "I never realised how much _not_ having legal guardians would make us feel so..."

"Alone?" Jay suggested.

"Isolated?" Carlos put in.

"Like we don't belong?" Evie added.

Mal nodded, "Yeah. All three." She sighed deeply. "But, you're right, E. We can make it fun for us as well. We don't need to see Neverland. We can explore the castle. Three days without school or the place being filled with prissy pink princesses and perfect princes." They all laughed, before nodding, agreeing that they would indeed enjoy themselves as much as possible. Obviously there would be some staff left behind for those who didn't get permission, but overall, the school would be empty. The VKs weren't anything if not able to make something fun out of a seemingly dull situation. They used to live on the Isle for goodness sake, it's not like there was anything there would have been classed as fun by the Auradonians over there. They made their own fun. And they could do it again.

The four of them carried on through the next day with smiles on their face after that, despite the excitement and hype that surrounded them. Although, Mal's drooped a bit when Ben came up to her.

"So, I decided that I'm just going to take some of my work with me on the trip, that way I can actually go and spend some time with you in Neverland, and not be stuck here for three days without you."

Mal closed her locker door slowly, "I uh…I'm not going." She leaned on her locker door and looked up at him.

Ben furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You're not? I would have thought you would have enjoyed travelling without being filmed for once. You liked Neverland last time we went, despite the cameras."

Mal shrugged, "It's not that I don't want to go, I just can't. But it's fine. We're planning to do something fun with the rest of the VKs."

"Wait, no VK is going?" Ben was seriously confused. He thought, of all people, the VKs would have wanted to go, as they'd spent most of their life trapped on the Isle.

"We can't." Mal replied, shrugging again. "None of us have legal guardians, well except for our parents but they don't really have parental rights any more."

Shock covered Ben's face briefly before he quickly masked it. "Oh. Right. Umm...I have to go. I'll see you later." he quickly kissed her cheek before rushing off.

Mal stared after him confused before shaking her head and heading back to her room.

Just as Ben was going to leave for Castle Beast, he heard a voice behind him. "Ben, wait up!"

Ben turned to see Jane running up to him, her hair coming down from its pony tail and her face red. "Thanks goodness I caught up to you. We have a bit of problem."

Ben internally groaned, as he was desperate to get to Castle Beast but he gestured for her to go on.

"Mum was sorting through the permission slips, as most of them came back today, but she noticed there were no VKs. We didn't even think about the fact that they didn't have legal guardians. We have to do something about that!"

Ben laughed a little, causing Jane to give a why-are-you-laughing-this-is-serious look. Ben coughed awkwardly before speaking, "I was actually just about to go to Castle Beast to try and rectify this situation."

Jane blushed a little. "You already knew. Of course you did. Sorry, didn't mean to hold you up."

"Hey, no problem. I only just found out as well. See you later, Jane!" And with that, he started up his scooter and zoomed off.

Carlos and Jay looked up from their video game when Mal and Evie both walked in and sat at the table. They paused their game and looked over at them. "You two okay?"

The girls nodded and pulled out their books and homework.

"Any reason you have to do that in here?" Carlos asked.

Mal gave him a 'duh' look, "Because we didn't feel like doing in our room? We figured that we may as well hang out and do homework at the same time."

The boys shrugged and grabbed their own. Helping each other was slowly becoming a norm so the boys figured they should do it now rather than bug the girls for help later. A couple hours of homework passed, when Ben walked in, looking oddly pleased with himself.

"Oh, here you are. Thank goodness you're all in one place. Really couldn't be bothered to chase you guys all over the school." He grabbed an empty chair and sat down with the Core Four, who were all looking at him a little confused.

"Can we help you?" Mal asked, not sure whether to be confused or to just laugh because of how random Ben was being.

"Yes you can. You're all invited to dinner with my parents and me tonight, at seven."

They all blinked before Evie spoke up. "Why on such short notice? I have almost no time to get ready!"

Ben looked a little guilty, "Yeah, we kinda only just made the plans. It's important that you do come. Please come."

Evie stood up, dragging Mal up as well, "Yeah, yeah, we'll be there. Let's go. Out, out, out. We need to get ready." She pushed Mal towards the door. Mal shot Ben a slightly annoyed look as she was pushed out.

"Alright, alright! I can move on my own, you know!" The boys heard as the door closed behind the girls.

"Not fast enough." Came Evie's voice.

"E! Seriously! Quit it!" The voices faded after that.

Jay snickered and looked at Ben, "This had better be worth it, because otherwise you're a dead man."

Ben laughed as well, "Yeah...remind me to never make last minute plans again. Well, I've go to get going. See you later guys!" He got up and left the room, leaving Jay and Carlos to shrug at each other and finish off the homework they were working on. Suddenly their door opened again.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you two!" the blue-haired princess had appeared in the doorway. "Once I've done Mal's hair and make-up, and sorted out her outfit, we're going to sort out what you two are wearing because that is not acceptable for dinner with the former king and queen."

The boys looked down at their usual day-to-day clothes and groaned. Evie left again, heading to go sort Mal out.

Finally, they were all ready to go. Mal had her hair done up in an elegant bun and was wearing an ankle length, lavender evening gown, with dark purple pumps. She also wore silver earrings that had dragon wings going up her ear and her dragon necklace. She, of course, was also wearing Ben's ring, as she never took it off. Evie had also made her wear the tiara she had worn for cotillion.

Evie herself was wearing a floor length dark blue dress, with a ruffled skirt, and royal blue kitten heels. She was wearing one of Dizzy's creations in her hair, which had been let down and was sitting on her shoulders. She was wearing her apple necklace and stacking bracelets along her wrists.

Evie had managed to force Carlos and Jay into something relatively smart. Carlos had a crisp white shirt, red tie and black blazer. He'd even worn normal length trousers, as Evie wouldn't let him wear shorts. She'd also managed to get Jay to wear a white shirt and a blood red blazer. Neither of the boys were very happy with this but they didn't complain, especially after Evie shot them the evil eye when they tried to. Mal patted their shoulder sympathetically when she saw their discomfort and then they all got into the limo.

They sat in silence in the short drive to the castle. Ben was waiting for them, along with Jane, Lonnie and Doug (much to the surprise of the others). Carlos was the first to step out of the limo and Jane ran up to him before taking his hand and pulling him away, bubbling excitedly about the castle and how awesome it was that they got to eat with the former king and queen. Jay was out next, and Lonnie just stood there, laughing slightly about his outfit. He shot her a not-a-word look before placing an arm around her shoulder and following Jane and Carlos towards the castle. Evie poked her head out next, carefully trying to not tread on her dress. Doug offered her his hand, which she took, stepping out gracefully. Mal was the last to get out and she smiled at Ben as she approached him.

"Okay, what's going on?" She asked.

Ben smiled and offered her his arm. She wrapped her hands around his elbow as she waited for an answer.

"It's a surprise." was all he told her before leading her into the castle.

She gave him an annoyed smile and walked into the castle, following him into the dining room. Once everyone was sat down, Adam began the meal. The VKs were still confused, whereas the AKs and the former king and queen kept shooting each other excited, knowing smiles. Everyone enjoyed the meal, chatting away about classes, sports, Evie's fashion etc. When everyone had finally finished up dessert, Adam cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to him as he smiled at them.

"We, Belle and I that is, have something to tell you four." He said looking at the four VKs. They all glanced at each other, a little confused, while their significant others tried to conceal their excited grins. "It has come to our attention that neither you four, nor any of the other VKs, have a legal guardian and we thought that it was time to change that."

Mal began to protest, "Oh, no, there is no need. We're fine without-"

Adam interrupted her, "Which is why," He continued, "Belle and I have signed the papers to be your legal guardians. We know it's not for long but it means you have someone."

"But we have each other." Mal spoke up, "Not to sound ungrateful, because we are seriously incredibly grateful that you would go to all this trouble for us, but we've never needed anyone. We support each other."

"But at least now you have someone who is legally an adult to properly make sure you are well looked after." Belle said, kindly, "It's only until you guys are eighteen, when you will no longer need to be under the care of guardian, but it means you have a home. And we'll be trying to organise something for all the VKs. No one will go without a legal guardian anymore."

Mal looked like she wanted to protest until Evie put her hand on Mal's.

"M." She whispered, "It's okay." Evie knew that Mal would feel like she couldn't give up looking after her siblings because of adults signing a piece of paper. She always felt like she was responsible for them but now...now someone else was going to take the responsibility from her, meaning that they could be a more _normal_ family. Seeing the sincerity in Evie's eyes, Mal felt her eyes own well up with tears and she nodded.

"Thank you." she choked out, before getting up and running to hug the former queen and king, forgetting all sense of proper. They were fine with it and hugged her back. When she pulled back, she wiped her face, where tears had already begun streaming down and nodded. "Thank you." She repeated. Immediately, Evie was by her side, and they were hugging as well, silent happy tears falling down their face. The adults got up and left the kids to discuss it between themselves, letting them have some privacy. Carlos and Jay got up and went to hug the girls as well. They stood in a circle, their heads touching as the girls cried and the boys tried not to. It was so overwhelming because for the first time in a long time they felt wanted. Their significant others stood by their seats watching them with smiles of their own, until the group broke apart. Mal immediately wrapped her arms around Ben's neck and buried her face into his shirt, sobs finally escaping her mouth. Ben put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I can't believe it." She whispered once her sobs quieted down. She pulled away. "Sorry, that was just a lot to process."

"Hey, don't be sorry." Ben said, lifting her chin gently. "Are you happy?" He searched her face.

Mal nodded, "Overwhelmingly so. I just...I can't believe it."

Meanwhile Evie had gone over and hugged Doug, before trying to fix her make-up, wiping her tears away. Doug just smiled at her, noting her happy look and not knowing what else to say. She smiled back and choked out a laugh. "We must look ridiculous to you."

Doug shook his head. "Of course not. You're happy. It's allowed you know."

Evie choked out another laugh, wiping under her eyes as she tried to stop her make-up from running.

Over by Jay and Lonnie, nothing was being said. He had just sat down and she wrapped her arms around him from behind, with him leaning his head back into her chest and her leaning her chin gently on his forehead. He was smiling, looked overwhelmed by it all. He couldn't find his voice but Lonnie didn't care. They just sat/stood there in happy silence.

Carlos couldn't move and so Jane had come up to him and wrapped him in a hug. He hugged her back smiling brightly. After his experience with Cruella as a mother, feeling wanted _as a son_ (well, he knew he wasn't quite Belle and Adam's son as they hadn't adopted him, but it was still basically the same thing to him), was just an overwhelming feeling. He smiled as he hugged her tighter, before letting out a laugh. "Wow."

Jane giggled, knowing that there was nothing else that he could think of to say, "I guess you have an official family now."

Carlos nodded, "I guess so."

They pulled away and smiled at each other. They looked over at the others, all of whom were still trying to process everything. Eventually, once everyone had collected themselves, they all headed back to the limo, and sat there in silence. Ben walked Mal back to her room, as she'd said she was tired, while Doug and Evie went for a walk, Evie saying some fresh air was needed to clear her head. Jay and Lonnie headed to the gym, both finding exercise the best way to sort through things, as they were both very active. Carlos, ever the gentleman, offered to escort Jane to her room, where they sat together, sometimes talking, sometimes not.

When Ben and Mal had reached her room, Mal turned around and pulled Ben down for a long kiss. He kiss backed happily, his hands falling to her waist. When she pulled back, she whispered two simple words before going into her room: "Thank you."

Ben smiled at the door before leaving to his own room.

The next day, all the VKs woke up, finding the permission slips signed by the former king and queen, and an announcement after breakfast explaining that all the VKs were to meet have legal guardians, meaning that once Ben, Belle and Adam had found what they thought was an appropriate match – as they handled the interviews themselves – the VKs would get the chance to spend a day with these new guardians, to make sure they were a good fit. It all worked out well, and the VKs all eventually had legal guardians (some were even adopted, but only if they wanted to be). All the VKs were incredibly happy and it was amazing that they now had families that loved them and cared about them as a family should.

 **Here you Maniey. I really hope you enjoyed this one. I loved writing it so much. Also, sorry I didn't add Fairy Godmother. Didn't really see anywhere to fit her in.**

 **Request Counter: 4 (OMG, ALMOST THERE!)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I know you're a big lover of Jonnie so I'm really happy you enjoyed the story.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Dylan and Maesi really are making to onto one of my OTP lists as well, lol. And yass. Jonnie is adorable.**

 **Grace: Yess, rain means staying indoors. I wish I could use that excuse on school days. And ugh, fine. Just take all the fun of it why don't you ;)**

 **silverwolf: sorry. The requests aren't open. Come back and re-request when they are and then I'll do it.**

 **lily: requests aren't open. Come back when they are and re-request your idea. Sorry**

 **SusieBeast: That would be brilliant if Maesi was used in an actual film, although I somehow I doubt they will get to that point. I hope I get to write more about them as well, but no plans at the moment. We have only four requests left though so maybe!**

 **Eli201: I felt bad for Lonnie too, and trust me, it's worse when you're writing it because you kinda hurt them several ways until you decide the right way to hurt them, whether it's in your head or on paper.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	68. Unsure (Bal)

Ben felt mocked. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sky was a vast cloudless space. The people of Auradon Prep were moving from place to place with laughter filling the air and chatter making the atmosphere come alive. Everything and everyone seemed to be so happy, so content, so _sure_ of itself. That just wasn't fair. How can this world be so right when everything in his head felt so wrong? He bit back a growl and opted to sigh instead. Mal had been so distant lately, and it made him wonder if he was doing anything wrong, if he was being good to her. He stared out of the library window, his book laying forgotten in front of him. He felt a presence next to him and he turned. He smiled when he saw Mal sitting next to him, most of his thoughts flying away.

"Hey." He greeted with a smile.

Mal gave him a quick smile and opened her book, and pulled out a note pad and pen, taking notes. Ben internally screamed. He felt a little ignored. Had he done something wrong? What was happening? He picked up his book again and tried to read it, but the words kept flying around the page, as he was unable to focus. He pinched his lips together and kept trying to read. He finally managed to absorbed what the page said without getting sidetracked and he turned the page. A little while later, as he managed to still his thoughts long enough to read a few pages, he heard Mal begin to pack her stuff away. He looked up and took her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. Mal looked up and gave him a quick smile before leaving, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Ben watched her go, unsure of how to react. It's like she barely noticed he was there. He knew they'd just come out of a rough patch in their relationship, but still, this was getting on his nerves a bit and worrying him a lot. He sighed and put his book in his bag as he got up, heading out towards the lockers. He put his stuff in the locker and headed to another dull council meeting, hoping that maybe something interesting will happen, because if not, he'll probably be distracted by his thoughts and he did not need that right now. Because, seriously, he felt like he had done something wrong and he didn't know what.

The council meeting was pretty dull but it kept him distracted. However, as he headed to his office, a memory flew through his head, making him question himself. It was the memory of the first time he noticed something odd with Mal.

 _Ben closed his locker and began to walk towards his next class, smiling at everyone who passed him. He then saw a head of purple hair out of the corner of his eye and grinned, turning to see Mal at her locker. He smiled and leant against the locker beside it, waiting for her to turn.  
"Hey." He greeted, once she'd closed her locker. She replied with a tight smile. Ben thought this was a little strange but continued as though he saw nothing, "So, I was thinking we could go on a date tonight? Just you, me, a blanket and the night sky."_

 _Mal smiled a little, although it still didn't seem genuine, and shrugged, "Yeah sure. See you later." And she just turned around and left._

Ben pulled out of the memory as someone came up to him with something that needed his urgent attention. When he had dealt with that situation, he found himself sitting in his office staring at the picture of himself and Mal at his coronation, sitting in the carriage that brought them to the cathedral. Everything seemed so perfect then. Now it seemed like something had gone wrong somewhere. Was she frightened because of the incident of Cotillion? Did the idea of having true love frighten her? Make her feel trapped? Or was there it something he'd done? He didn't know what he could have done but he must have done something. He thought about another time, not long after the first time Mal seemed off.

 _They were sitting on the blanket, in a beautiful meadow looking at the stars above. They hadn't said much the whole time, which worried Ben a bit. He turned over to look at Mal and his fingertips brushed hers. Her reaction wasn't one he expected, as she flinched and pulled her hand away slightly. He looked at her questioningly, but she just smiled as though nothing was wrong. He accepted it, not knowing how to approach the subject, as when he'd asked her if she was alright earlier that evening, she just brushed him off with a simple "Fine"._

There was a knock on the door and Ben looked up, saying: "Come in."

The door opened to reveal his beautiful, purple-haired girlfriend.

"Mal, hey." He sat a little straighter, looking at her with a smile. She smiled back a little before looking around.

"Hey. Did I leave my sketchbook in here? I can't seem to find it." Mal's soft green eyes scanned the room.

Ben stopped himself from letting out a disappointed sigh, as she hadn't come to see him, and shook his head. "I haven't seen it. Sorry."

She nodded, "Okay. I must of left it elsewhere. See ya." and with that, she left again. Ben let out the sigh he had withheld and continued with his work. Tapping his pen on his desk, he decided that he had to talk to someone about what was happening with Mal. He needed to get it off his chest but if he told Mal herself, he was afraid it would end in another argument, which is not what he wanted. Maybe he needed the perspective on an outsider who knew Mal really well first. At first he thought about going to Evie, but then he decided against it. What he needed right now was the perspective of a guy, as they might be able to explain to him what's going on with Mal in a way he understands, because sometimes, girls reasoning for things confused him. He knew who he had to talk to.

By the time he reached the door of the dorm room of Jay and Carlos, he was already second guessing himself. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"It's open!" A voice called. He walked in and the two boys were doing a PvP video game, attacking one another with their weapons. "Oh hey Ben." Carlos said, looking up for a second before going back to their game. "Aha! I win!" Jay groaned as his character fell over dead. They put their controllers down and looked up at Ben.

"You okay, man? You look like you're going to be sick." Carlos asked, worried at the tired face of the young king.

"Yeah, I'm good. But can I talk to you guys about something? I need help from a dude's perspective."

Jay and Carlos shrugged at each other before nodding. Ben sat down next to them, looking at his hands for a while before looking up at them. "Does Mal seem...okay to you?"

They looked at him curiously, Jay with an eyebrow raised and Carlos's eyes were slightly narrowed.

"Yeah, she seems fine to me." Carlos replied, looking at Jay, who nodded in agreement, "Why, what's up?"

Ben looked down again, "I don't know. She just seems a bit off at the moment. And I don't know if I've done something wrong. I only want to do right by her, but she's been so distant lately, it makes me wonder if I'm really good enough for her. If she really loves me or if she just feels like she has to. I just don't want her to feel trapped."

Jay shook his head, "She doesn't feel trapped. Trust me, if she did, she would have asked me to drive her back to the Isle."

Ben's head shot up at that, "What?"

Jay explained that just before Cotillion, he'd told her to come to Cotillion, and if she still wanted to leave, he'd take her himself. "She knows that offer stands for as long as it needs to."

Ben felt a little reassured but it still didn't help massively. "Okay, but she's been acting odd. She isn't avoiding me, exactly, but she's been distant. She doesn't talk to me, her answers tend to be quite short, her smiles all seem fake and the other day, she flinched when my hand brushed hers."

Carlos and Jay looked at each other quickly before looking at Ben again. "Any idea why she might be doing that?" Carlos asked.

Ben shook his head, "I have none. I don't know if I've done something wrong or if she doesn't love me anymore or what?"

"She does love you, man, trust me. I've never seen her as happy as she is when she talk about you or when someone mentions you. She's head over heels, trust me."

"But then...why is she so distant?" Ben was thoroughly confused now. Nothing seemed to add up.

"Nightmares." Jay replied.

"Nightmares?" The young king furrowed is brow, "She's been having nightmares? What about?"

The boys shrugged, "I don't know, but her being distant is what happens after severe nightmares." Jay explained, "Especially if they're consistent over a period of time."

"Really? But then why wouldn't she say anything?" He thought Mal knew he could come to her with anything. So why would she hide the nightmares from him?

"Knowing her, she doesn't want to worry you. Or she doesn't want to seem weak." Carlos replied, "It's got nothing to do with you, trust us."

Ben nodded slowly, still not sure. Jay sighed and grabbed another controller, chucking it at him. Ben's reflexes were quick, so he caught it before looking at it confused.

"Play a game with us while you work through whatever is going on in your head. Trust me, it'll help."

The king looked at the controller before looking up at the ex-theif and son of Cruella De Vil. He shrugged in agreement and turned it on. They played several PvP games, fighting each other to the death. Ben forgot his worries about Mal for a while, and enjoyed playing and bonding with the guys. He groaned as he died again before laughing and getting up. "Thanks for the talk guys, and the game. I have stuff I need to do, so I'd better go."

"Hey, no problem." Carlos replied. Just as Ben was about to leave, he called out to him, "Hey, your Majesty." This caused Ben to roll his eyes and turn around, "She loves you. Seriously."

Ben smiled and nodded before leaving. As he walked down the hall, deep in thought, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A head of purple hair, bent over something in one of the art classrooms, alone. He opened the door to the art classroom and saw Mal sitting there, several pencils laying in front of her as she drew.

"Hey." he said softly, in hope to not startle her, due to how hard she was concentrating. It didn't work as she still jumped slightly.

"Ben!" She slammed her sketchbook shut, "Hey!" She seemed a bit nervous, frantic even.

"You found it then?" He said, leaning against the door frame.

Mal smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it was in my locker. I forgot I put it in there for safe keeping."

Ben smiled back softly and came over to her, "So what are you working on?"

"Nothing." she said, a little too quickly, "It doesn't matter."

Ben frowned at her a little, "Mal, is something wrong? You've been really distant lately. It's scaring me a little."

Mal realised what he meant, "Oh, I didn't mean to worry you. It isn't you I promise. I just have a lot on my mind, you know?"

Ben nodded before taking one of her hands in his, "You know you can come to me for anything? Even, say, nightmares?"

Something flashed in Mal's eyes. "Have you been talking to Evie?" She asked, pulling her hand away.

Ben shook his head, "Jay and Carlos."

"But..."

"Jay guessed due to the way I described how you were acting." Ben said, answering her unanswered question.

Mal laughed, "Of course he would know. He noticed when I'd had a nightmare on the Isle." She sighed, "Okay, yeah, I've been having nightmares. I just find it easier to deal with them on my own."

Ben took her hand and rubbed his thumb over it, a small gesture that let her know that she didn't have to deal with them on her own. Instead of saying anything, Mal pushed her sketchbook at him and opened it to a page where she'd drawn some dark scenes. Ben immediately knew these were her nightmares and looked through them, holding her close to him, and occasionally kissing the top of her head as her nightmares came to life on the paper. He whispered reassuring things to her once he'd finished, pulling her close and wrapping both arms around her. The way she gripped onto his shirt, as though he was the only thing keeping her from disappearing, it made him realise that he had no reason to be unsure about his relationship with Mal. She needed him just as much as he needed her.

 **There you go, Maniey. I hope this was okay. I struggled with this one a bit so I hope it came out okay.**

 **Request Counter: 3 (Getting closer!)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad you like it so much. It was quite difficult to write due to how emotional it was. And I think I will be reopening the requests because I've found the enjoyment in writing again and my writers block is pretty much gone.**

 **Grace: Hey, you could do this magical thing called** ** _ignore me. *Le gasp!*_** **What is this witchcraft? I'm happy you enjoyed it though.**

 **xez2003: Happy you liked it and at the moment, the plan is to reopen it. So don't you worry.**

 **Eli201: My heart broke too, trust me. Also, with how much love Dylan and Maesi are getting, I might end up starting a book just for them lol.**

 **Maniey: Haha, sorrynotsorry.**

 **Guest.I: I'm glad you liked it and lol, I might have to start a book dedicated to all Dylan x Maesi oneshots, seeing how much you all like them.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: XD Yes, she really is stubborn (and so am I tbh, so lol). Ikr? Him cutting up her food was one of the most adorable parts.**

 **Love you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	69. Late (Bal)

The sun rose over the castle-turned-school giving the grounds a warm glow about them, making the windows sparkle as the light hit them. The early morning light streamed into the room that belonged to the blue-haired princess and the purple-haired faerie. The princess got up and began her normal routine of getting ready. Surprisingly though, her normal routine of having to wake up the faerie didn't seem to be needed today. She was out of bed almost as soon as Evie was. She had jumped out of bed as soon as she woke up and thrown on her robe before heading over to her wardrobe.

"Who are you and what have you done with Mal?" Evie joked, as she grabbed her own outfit for the day, laying it out on the bed before sitting down to her make-up. Mal just laughed and grabbed one of her favourite dresses, a comfortable pair of combat boots and a black leather jacket, which had her mother's symbol in pink and purple on the back. She pulled them on carefully before searching through her jewellery box for some earrings or a necklace, and maybe some bracelets. She settled on a pair of her dangle earrings, her favourite dragon necklace and her charm bracelet. She brushed her hair gently and let it stay down. Before she could escape though, Evie managed to grab her and sit her down, doing her make-up. Mal pouted but accepted her fate as there was no way to get away from Evie once she had sat you down and was wielding a make-up brush. Once Evie was done with her, Mal got up and thanked her before heading downstairs to get some breakfast, before going off to meet Ben for their date.

At breakfast, she was joined by Lonnie, Ally and Jordan.

"You're looking nice." Ally complimented, "Are you going on a date with Ben? How perfectly lovely. Where are you going? Is it nice?"

Mal laughed, "We're just going to a social gathering with some other nobles. It's not really a date, but we get to spend some time together, even if there are others there."

"He has been quite busy lately, hasn't he?" Lonnie said, "At least you get to spend some time with him."

Mal nodded, "Exactly. Even if it's in a room full of people who don't trust me any more than they trusted my mother."

The girls laughed and Lonnie patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"You'll be okay. And if not, just turn into a dragon and burn down the place." Jordan advised, only half joking.

Mal snorted, "Yeah, because that'll help their image of me."

"Hey, you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?"

"Yeah, somehow I don't see that applying to this situation." Mal replied with a laugh, "Anyway, what are you guys up to today."

The girls sat there and chatted for a few hours, long after they finished their breakfast. They were also eventually joined by Evie, Freddie, Dizzy and a few more people. The chatter was endless and they all enjoyed each others company. Ally and Dizzy got on like two peas in a pod, as they were both perky, energetic and constantly curious. Jordan and Freddie were both constantly sarcastic and had a similar sense of humour. Everyone got on well and they all mixed together and balanced each other out perfectly. Friendship between all the girls was strong and not one of them ever felt like that they didn't belong, or rather they all felt like they didn't belong one way or another and that's why they worked together as a group so perfectly. Eventually everyone began to disperse to go do their own thing. Mal was dragged back to her room with Evie, so that she could make sure Mal's make-up was perfect and to give Mal her tiara because she had to wear during social gatherings with nobles and Mal had 'forgotten' to pick up that morning (she didn't mind the tiara, it's just sometimes the looks people gave her when she wore it made her feel she didn't deserve it).

After a while Evie seemed to only just notice the leather jacket and shook her head.

"Uh, no. Mal, seriously? Leather jackets? To a party with nobles? And with your mother's symbol on it?" She pulled the jacket off of Mal's back and hung it back in the wardrobe.

"Evie! I was only going to wear it on the bike!" She exclaimed, feeling a little peeved with how controlling her friend was being.

"The emblem will drive people nuts." Evie explained calmly, "You can't drive up to a gathering with the nobles wearing it. Just wear your plain black one."

Mal sighed, knowing Evie was right and nodded, "Fine. Give it here."

Evie handed her the jacket, which Mal shrugged on, and stood in front of the mirror. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Evie nodded and gave her friend a hug. "You'll be okay. Go have fun."

Mal let out a laugh and hugged her friend back. "Yeah, I'll try."

"At least Ben will be there." Mal nodded in agreement.

"True."

"Now go! You'll be late. It starts at eleven!" Mal laughed and left, her friend practically pushing her out.

"Okay, okay! See you later E!"

"See you later!"

Mal walked outside and grabbed her bike, put on her helmet and got on before zooming off to the venue. She knew that arriving on a bike wasn't exactly proper, but the bike made her feel free. Like for a few minutes, it was just her and an open road. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and she arrived at her destination. She parked her bike, and removed her helmet and jacket, before searching her bag for her tiara (it wouldn't fit under the helmet). She put the tiara on carefully and checked her reflection in the mirror of the bike before sighing and heading inside.

"Greetings, Lady Mal." said the butler, who was manning the door, "And where is King Ben?"

"You mean he's not already here?" She asked, a little worried.

"I'm afraid not, my Lady. But I'm sure he'll be here soon." the butler reassured her.

Mal nodded, "I'm sure. Thank you." She added when he opened the door for her. He bowed and turned his attention the next guests. Mal made her way into the hall, where nobles were standing, chatting and drinking glasses of what looked like sparkling water in champagne flutes. Mal felt a little awkward and out of place, with her dress that came to just below the knees, and everyone else's were at least half-way down their thighs. She was wearing combat boots and all the other woman were tottering around in high-heels. Mal shifted uncomfortably as she found a slightly out of the way corner to stand and drink from her glass (yep. It was sparkling water). She kept an eye out for Ben, as a few people came up to her and made polite conversation. Mal did her best to stay interested and to not look as uncomfortable as she felt. An hour past and finally, Ben came into the room. Everyone bowed and curtsied as he walked past. He bowed his head back politely, searching the room. He finally found Mal and made a bee-line for her. Mal curtsied when he reached her and he bowed back, as it was the proper greeting.

"Where were you?" She whispered angrily as they both rose from their bow.

"I lost track of time. I'm sorry." He whispered back. He then offered her his arm, which she took and together they walked around, conversing with some of the other royalty, from other kingdoms. Finally lunch was announced and they all sat down at the table in the next room. Mal kept shooting Ben annoyed looks as he talked with the person next to him, leaving Mal obligated to chat with the person next to her. She didn't mind the woman on her left, but she still felt uncomfortable being here. Finally, after lunch, everyone went back into the room they were in previously and guests slowly began leaving. Ben made Mal stay a little longer, as there was no way she was leaving without him, but after a while, he finally bid his goodbyes and left.

"So..." He began once they were heading over to their bikes (It was the fastest way Ben could get there due to the fact that he was late). "What do you want to do now?"

Mal shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Why were you late?" She demanded, pulling off her tiara and turning to him.

Ben looked a little shocked, "I told you, I lost track of time. I didn't mean to be."

"You seriously lost track of time? You're the one who wanted to come here in the first place! I didn't want to come, but you leave me in there, _alone_ , for an hour!" Mal raised her voice as she stormed over to her bike.

"Why did you agree to come then?" Ben demanded, his own voice raising too, getting mad at her irrational anger.

"Because I knew it was the only way I was going to get to see you!" She exclaimed. She grabbed her helmet and pulled it on.

"What?" Ben gave her a confused look, "You see me all the time!"

"In council meetings! And right after, you always have somewhere to run off to! This was the only way that I could spend _some_ time with you that didn't involve school or work."

"We could have just made other plans."

"Which you would have ended up cancelling or asking for a 'rain-check' because you've been so busy!"

"It's not like it's my fault!" Ben began defending himself.

"I'm not blaming you!" Mal yelled back, "I'm just asking for some of your time! And for you not to leave me alone at those gatherings, which you know I hate because there are still some people who don't trust me. But I get it, I'm not important enough." Before Ben could reply, Mal got on her bike and drove away.

Ben groaned and got on his bike, chasing after her. She wasn't driving to Auradon Prep, much to Ben's surprise. Luckily, she wasn't driving towards the Isle either, so he felt pretty safe with the fact that she wasn't running away.

Mal didn't really know where she was driving, until she found herself going down a familiar road. She was headed to the Enchanted Lake. She heard Ben's bike behind her so she drove as fast as she could. Finally, she came to a stop and began to run towards the lake. Ben parked mere seconds after she did. He got off and ran towards her, catching her arm.

"Mal stop!"

"Why?" Mal demanded, whipping around, tears flowing down her face.

"I'm sorry! Mal, I didn't realise that you hated these gatherings so much, otherwise I never would have suggested it! Just talk to me, please!" Ben begged her, his eyes wide and desperation in his voice.

Mal sobbed, "I just can't do it, Ben! I feel like I barely get to see you and like I'm not good enough to be your Lady because I can't cope in those gatherings with other royals without you!"

Ben pulled her into his chest, "I'm sorry, Mal. I'm so sorry. But you are good enough. I promise. Maybe not by anybody else's standards, but by mine you are."

Mal grasped his shirt and sobbed, "I'm sorry." She croaked out, "I shouldn't have gotten angry. I just...I could hear the whispers when you weren't there. I didn't feel safe."

"I've got you now. Whatever anyone else says doesn't matter." He kissed the top of her head. "You were right. I haven't made enough time for you lately."

Mal shook her head, "It's fine. You have to put the kingdom first. I understand that."

"But I shouldn't have to. I want to put you first."

"Ben, stop. You're going to end up making promises you can't keep. You're a king. You need to focus on your kingdom." Mal argued.

Ben looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn't, knowing Mal was right. He was always taught that the kingdom comes first.

"Okay. But if you do ever feel like you haven't seen me enough, please come to see me. Day or night. I'll drop what I'm doing to spend some time with you. I promise."

Mal smiled, "Okay."

"So am I forgiven?"

Mal nodded, "I guess. Just please don't be late next time."

Ben nodded and kissed her softly.

Mal and Ben headed to the lake and lay there together, being just Ben and Mal for a while. No King, no Lady, no nobles or obligations. Just the two of them. Mal and Ben. Ben and Mal.

 **Here you go Lecito in Aeternum. This wasn't one of my best pieces of work, but I tried. Hope you liked it.**

 **Request Counter: 2 (OMW!)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: (chapter 67) Haha, nope. If you want to stop crying, you might want to stop reading my oneshots. Lol, jk. Seriously, though, I'm glad you enjoyed it. (chapter 68) Life's not fair honey, ;) But I'm glad you liked it and yep, Jay x Carlos x Ben is one of my favourite BroTPs.**

 **SusieBeast: (chapter 67) Thank you so much! And trust me, my heart was breaking a lot more than you could probably imagine (remember, I tend to go through a scene several times before it hits the paper). (chapter 68) I'm sorry? (I mean, not really, but I think that's the polite thing to say ;) )**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm so happy you loved it. I loved the boys chat too :)**

 **Eli201: My idea of the nightmare was kinda like yours...except, in my mind she dreamed that it was her who hurt Ben, not Maleficent. I dunno. I have really morbid thoughts.**

 **Grace: I wish I could do the same, but then again, if we did, would she be the same Mal?**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the stories anyway.**

 **Kate Cheese: (chapter 67) Aww, I'm sorry. I'm happy you liked it though. (chapter 68) I felt sad for her too. And thank you. I was quite proud of the last statement, (I mean it's not original, but still)**

 **Maniey: Thank you so much for your support. And yay! I surpassed expectations!**

 **Guest.I: I agree completely, but what can we do?**

 **Love you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	70. Darkside (Jonnie)

The day stared with a beautiful sunrise and as the sky began to light up, a student in Auradon Prep opened her eyes and sat up, smiling as she watched the sun slowly rise. She quickly got into her running clothes and plugged in her earphones. Quietly, she crept out of the room and closed the door, not wanting to wake her sleeping roommate. She silently walked down the hallway and out into the open air. She did some stretches before turning on her music and setting out for her morning run. She tended to be one of the only ones up at this time, if not the only one up, so it was peaceful and relaxing to just jog, music playing in her ears, feet pounding under her, early morning breeze gently blowing through her hair. Being in boarding school meant you rarely got a moment alone, so being able to just run, with no one around, it was freeing.

After her run, the sun had risen fully, and other people who were morning people slowly trickled out of the school. Lonnie pulled out her headphones and greeted a few people before heading to the gym. Once there, she sat down on the benches and waited for her work-out partner.

Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her shoulders and a gentle kiss being placed to her neck. "Morning." The voice belonging to the arms said.

Lonnie raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at him. "Morning. Someone's feeling particularly affectionate this morning. You sick?"

Jay chuckled, wrapping his arms around her tighter. "Maybe. It's a beautiful morning."

Lonnie hummed in agreement. "Well, as much as I'm loving this affectionate side of you, we still need to do our work-outs."

Jay grinned and let go, so that the two of them could begin their work-out. Some time, and a lot of sweat later, Jay and Lonnie shared a quick hug before each heading to their own rooms to shower and get ready for the day. After her shower, Lonnie did her make-up and hair quickly before grabbing her school bag and heading out for breakfast. When she opened the door, she jumped a little as Jay stood there, his hand up, as though about to knock.

"Jay." She exclaimed, after a quick recovery, "You scared me. What's up?"

Jay shrugged pulling his hand down, "Thought I could walk with you to the cafeteria. Spend a little more time with you."

"Five minutes?" Lonnie giggled, "Wow. Loads of time."

"Don't want to waste a second with you." He replied, grinning easily.

Lonnie walked out and shut the door behind her. "You, sir, are being incredibly sappy today. You sure you're not ill?"

Jay laughed again, "No. Just feel really good today."

Lonnie smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Well, I'm glad you do. Shall we?"

"We shall." Jay kissed her on the cheek, causing her to squeak in surprise, before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and beginning to walk. Lonnie rolled her eyes but couldn't help her grin.

They walked down to the cafeteria, smiling and laughing as they joked around. They finally reached the cafeteria and grabbed themselves a simple breakfast, oatmeal for Lonnie and toast with jam for Jay (he claimed oatmeal reminded him too much of the Slop Shop back on the Isle). Jay grinned at her as they ate quietly, unable to keep his smile to himself. His smile was infectious and soon had Lonnie grinning as well.

Other people began joining them and they were able to tear their eyes away from each other and tone down their smiles, although they couldn't stop smiling completely. No one seemed to notice though, so that saved them from any severe embarrassment, especially seeing as Carlos would find any excuse to tease Jay if it meant payback for the amount of teasing he got from Jay.

After breakfast, they went to their lockers, although by the time Lonnie had grabbed everything she needed and closed the locker, Jay was already standing right behind it. "Hey."

Lonnie jumped again. "Seriously, you need to stop doing that."

Jay chuckled, "Well, I have to say, you do look adorable when you get scared."

Lonnie whacked him lightly, "Haha, funny." She then kissed his cheek before turning to go to class. Jay, apparently, had other ideas and grabbed her hand, spinning her towards him and quickly kissing her on the lips. Lonnie looked a little dazed, "Okay, I think I like it when you're in a good mood." She said, looking at him. Jay just smirked before letting go of her hand and heading to class himself. Lonnie chuckled and rolled her eyes before heading to her own class.

At lunch, the two of them found a secluded spot, a bench hidden away with a cluster of trees, and sat, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, her head on his shoulder and their lunches either side of them.

"We should do this more often." Jay said, "This is nice."

Lonnie smiled up and him before lifting her head so that she could look at him properly. "As much as I love this Jay, why are you in such a good mood? You're never like this."

Jay shrugged, "I don't know. Just woke and realised that my life is pretty great, so why waste it, you know?"

Lonnie looked surprised, "Wow. That is not something I expected to come out of your mouth."

He laughed, "I guess you still have some things to learn about me?"

She smiled and nodded, "I guess I do."

They sat there, talking for the rest of the break, both groaning when the bell went.

"Can we just skip?" Jay whined.

"Nope." Lonnie replied. She hopped up and held out her hand to him. He took it, slightly miffed but pecked her cheek before heading to the castle for his lessons.

After school, they met up again, both happy to be free of class. However, Lonnie was insistent that they do their homework immediately so that it didn't linger over their heads while they were together. He grumbled a little ("Hey, there's the Jay I know and love." She'd joked) but agreed, so they sat down and got started on their assignments.

Some time later, a guy came over and snickered at them. "Oh, how cute. Homework. You sure know how to treat a girl to a date, Jay."

Jay huffed before getting up and turning to the guy. He just smirked before punching him. He laughed when the guy fell to the floor. He reached down and punched him again, still laughing. Lonnie pulled Jay off of him. "Jay! What the hell?"

Jay looked at her, the laughter in his eyes fading. "What? He annoyed me..." his voice faltered as Lonnie looked at him with shock and ...disgust.

Before he could get another word in, Lonnie turned on her heel and ran. What she'd seen scared her. It was brief. A few seconds and that was enough to turn Lonnie's world upside down. He had laughed. Laughed. Normally, he would have to get really worked up and then he would become violent, but the guy had made one comment. One little comment and Jay snapped. Or did he? He didn't seem angry. _"He annoyed me._ " was his response. He'd punched the guy because he'd _annoyed_ him. Lonnie couldn't wrap her mind around it. He was violent when he got mad. She knew that. They were working on it. But that. That was something she'd never seen before. She went into her room and shut the door, before letting her head rest against it.

She went over to her bed and realised she'd left her homework and her bag when she'd ran. She'd have to get it later. And that's when the waterworks started. She couldn't help it. Knowing that he seemed to enjoy hurting the guy with no reason, not even being competitive like on the tourney field, it killed her. She lay on her bed and reached for her pillow to muffle her scared sobs, when she felt something under it. She pulled it out to reveal Jay's old red beanie, the one he'd worn all the time when he'd originally come to Auradon. He now had several, wearing whichever one he felt like that day. She'd stolen a few months into the relationship.

 _Lonnie and Jay were sitting down and playing a video game, trying to beat each other (it was best out of three and they both already had a point each)._

 _Lonnie cheered in victory as she won. "Haha! Beat you!"_

" _Lucky hit." He replied, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice._

 _Lonnie laughed and put the controller down so that she could get up and grab her bottle, which she took with her pretty much anywhere she went. She then spotted something poking out of one of his draws. She smirked as she grabbed and put it on._

" _What do you think?" she asked, turning to him. "I think it suits me better."_

 _Jay raised an eyebrow looking up before giving a short laugh. "Really?" He looked at her for a second, "Eh, I think beanies are more my thing."_

 _Lonnie nodded, "True. Totally keeping this though." When Jay went to protest she added, "Most girls steal hoodies from their boyfriends."_

 _He looked at her for a few more seconds before rolling his eyes and patting the space beside him, "I guess that is my most worn out one. Just keep it safe, okay?"_

Lonnie's memory cut off there, finding it too painful to keep remembering. The boy she remembered...was it all a lie? Did he fake everything? She put the beanie to her face. It still smelt faintly of his hair, making her begin crying into it. She was scared, confused and she didn't know what to believe. She thought he was good. She thought that he was trying. What was wrong with him? He laughed!

Her thoughts were going so fast, she could hardly keep up with them. She didn't know what she was feeling anymore, so she just kept crying because it was the easiest thing to do. She was glad her room mate was out so she didn't want her to see her cry. She was so wrapped up in her tears, her confusion and her hurt that she didn't notice the door opening and Mal standing there.

Mal didn't say anything. She just went over to the girl who was kneeling her bed, her head in her hands and a beanie clutched in her hands. The purple-haired faerie sat on the bed and put her arm around the grieving warrior. Lonnie didn't even think twice about throwing her arms around the other girl and sobbing into her shoulder.

"I'm so confused Mal." She exclaimed, "I'm so scared."

Mal put her arms around her. "I know. And I'm sorry you had to see it."

Lonnie pulled away, "See what? I don't even know what I was seeing. It wasn't even Jay. It couldn't have been!"

Mal nodded, sighing softly. "Trust me, we all wish that it wasn't. But it was. It is."

Lonnie looked at her, her eyes shining with tears, tear streaks down her face. "What was I seeing?"

"To put it simply? His dark side." When Lonnie looked confused and a little peeved at the explanation, Mal rushed to expand her explanation. "We all have one. The deepest, darkest parts of us that we hope never comes to surface and no one will know about. But, due to how we were raised, we VKs are more likely going to let it come to surface. I'm not saying what he did was right, the complete opposite. I'm not even trying to make excuses for him. I'm just explaining."

Lonnie looked down at her hands. "Mal, I'm so scared. Has he been faking it with me?"

"No." Mal replied, simply, "He's never been more real with anyone. And he hates himself for what he did. He's beating himself up more than he's ever beat anybody up."

Lonnie looked concerned. "What do you mean?"

"He's punching through almost every punching bag in the gym and he actually went straight to Fairy Godmother and admitted everything because he thought he'd get sent back to the Isle and that's what he believed he deserved. Seeing the fear in your eyes after he did that, it hit him hard."

Biting her lip, Lonnie looked down at her hands, shame in her eyes. "I didn't-"

Mal cut her off before she had a chance to say anything, "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Trust me. It scares all of us when he gets like that. Evie and Carlos are trying to calm him down and Fairy Godmother gave him detention which will basically be counselling, so that they can understand what was going on with him."

Lonnie nodded, knowing he was in good hands and maybe the reason he did what he did could be uncovered. "I can't see him yet." She said, suddenly looking up.

Maleficent's daughter nodded in understanding. "Okay. I understand. I'll let Jay know."

Lonnie nodded and hugged Mal briefly, before she got up and left the room, leaving the hero of China's daughter to process everything.

Later that evening, there was a knock on her door. She froze when she heard the voice.

"Lonnie?" It was Jay, "I know you said you didn't want to see me, so can you at least hear me out?" When she didn't respond, he took it as a sign to keep going. "I'm sorry you had to see that today. What I did was horrific and there is no way to excuse it in any manner. I'm not here to beg you to stay with me. I'm just here to let you know that I regret every second of what I did. I wish I knew what happened, but I don't, so Fairy Godmother has me in therapy. I'm sorry, Lonnie. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to cause you any sort of pain. Maybe some day far in the future, you'll be able to forgive me and we can be friends again. I know that won't happen now, I'm not asking for it to. I'm just saying goodbye."

There was a pause.

"Goodbye Lonnie." The words sounded forced, as though he had to choke them out. She then heard footsteps slowly fading away.

Lonnie wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the door. "Goodbye Jay." she whispered, once she was sure he was gone.

Her room mate came in, looking all happy and smiles. "Hey girl!"

Lonnie gave her a tight smile.

"Oh no. Did something happen between you and Jay? Because both of you look like someone hit your grandmothers with a bus."

Lonnie shrugged, "I don't even know any more. It all happened so fast that I'm not sure any more."

Her room mate nodded in understanding, "Well, maybe you should talk to him. You two have been through a lot. I'd be really surprised if this is where it ends."

"But what if it is the end of us?" the warrior girl looked up at her friend.

"Then it's the end. There's nothing else I can say. Except that the Lonnie I know never backs down from something without a fight, no matter how challenging."  
"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if you really want to be with him, fight for it. Work through your problems together. And if it turns out he doesn't want to be with you, his loss." Lonnie looked at the floor, sighing slightly before the other girl continued, "I'm not saying it's going to be easy either way. It never is. But since when does Lonnie Li take the easy way out?"

Lonnie looked up at her friend and considered her words for a few seconds before jumping up and hugging her. "You're the best!"

Lonnie kicked off her heels before legging it down the corridor and towards the boys room. When she got there, she pounded on the door, only to have Carlos open it, looking confused, worried and annoyed. Although mainly confused once he saw who was at the door.

"Lonnie? Uh...Jay isn't here." He said awkwardly when she asked, "I thought you didn't want to talk to him though?"

"Changed my mind. Where is he?"

Carlos just shrugged, causing Lonnie to huff but thank him all the same, before taking off, running around the school, barefoot. She found him eventually, sitting on the floor in a secluded spot in the library (she'd stopped running when she got in there). She sighed with relief and approached him slowly. The memory of what he did to that poor boy flashed in her mind and she nearly turned back but she couldn't bring herself to. When she saw him look so broken, angry and scared, knowing that anger and fear was directed at himself, she couldn't just sit on the sidelines and wait to see what happened.

"Hey." She said softly, when she was a few paces away.

Jay looked up, shocked. "Uh...hey." he replied.

Lonnie sat down across from him, crossing her legs. He sat with his knees up and his arms draped over them.

"I thought we should talk, properly."

Jay nodded but didn't say anything.

"Jay, I don't know why you did what you did and I'd be lying to both of us if I didn't say I hold you responsible for what you did. But," She added quickly as he looked down at his hands again, "You took responsibility for the mistake you made. And I have never been more proud of you."

Jay looked up again, his face looking slightly hopeful.

"I know that therapy is going to be hard for you." Lonnie continued, "And I'm not going to let you go through it alone. I want to be with you in any way that I can. I want to be there for you. What happened today is not something I'll easily put behind me, but I'm willing to try to move on. I won't forget, because I know it's the part of you that is worst part of you, but I also have seen the best parts of you and I know that they outweigh the bad. So I'm willing to keep trying with you and keep going with you. I'm here for you. And that will never change. It's up to you whether I'm for you as your girlfriend, or merely your friend, but either way, I'll always be here for you."

There was a long pause before Jay finally spoke, "Why would you want me, now that you've seen my worst?"  
"Because if I can't handle you at your worst, then I don't deserve you at your best. Jay, not only are you the man I love but you are also one of my best friends. And I'm not going to leave you because I've seen the worst in you. If anything, it makes me more determined to be with you so that we can fight this internal demon together." At this point she grabbed his hand with both of hers and squeezed it tight. "Because you shouldn't fight it alone."

Jay looked at her for a few seconds, "What did I do to deserve you?" He wondered aloud, searching her face.

"You stood by me. Just like I'm going to stand by you. I'll still be slightly hurt by what you did,but I am willing to push through. Because it'll hurt us both a lot more if I continue to hold this against you."

Jay nodded and swallowed, "Thank you. For giving me another chance."

Lonnie smiled and nodded before leaning over to him and placing a quick kiss on his lips, "I'm always here. We'll work through this together. I'll come with you to every session, even if I have to wait in the waiting room for a few hours. And afterwards, we'll go out. Just you and me. And we'll get through this."

Jay nodded, smiling slightly, "I'd like that."

Lonnie grinned, "Good." and she sealed that promise of being there for him with another kiss.

 **Well, not sure what happened here. It's a mess of emotions. I'm sorry guys. I really am.**

 **Thank you Guest (21/01/2018). I only just reread your review and realised this wasn't exactly what you wanted but I hope it's just as good? Sorry.**

 **Request Counter: 1 (EEEEEEK GET READY PEOPLE)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: (chapter 67) Thanks. (chapter 68) Yeah, I know. (chapter 69) Thank you.**

 **veroandlegolas: I like them getting on too and yes, Mal and Ben really do. Thank you so much !**

 **Guest (05/04/2018): Yeah, I'm not very good at writing Devie and it's my least requested ship. But if you want to, you can request some after the next chapter when the requests are open.**

 **Grace: Yeah, I almost cried too. And yep, I liked the ending too! And yes. I am intentionally trying to kill you. What, you think I do this for fun? Pshh, nahhh.**

 **FlatFox: Thank you. That means a lot. I am so happy you thought it was good.**

 **Eli201: I like angst as well, but I'm starting to feel like I write too much angst. Next one is pretty much pure fluff though.**

 **SusieBeast: I'm sorry! But hey, possible happy Bal fic is next. Depending on how I play the story out.**

 **Maniey: I'm sorry! I know. Angst hurts. But I like it. It's bad but true.**

 **EvelynGrimhilde6: Looking forward to your requests. And thank you. That means a lot to me.**

 **Guest.I: Yep. Bal is one of the best!**

 **Kate cheese: I'm sorry. Well, not really, but I kinda am!**

 **twilight sparkle: Actually, I only use other people's OC's if they end up in a request. Otherwise it's too difficult for me to keep track.**

 **Lecito in Aeternum: I am so happy you loved it!**

 **xez2003: I am so happy you loved them. And yep. One to go! Be ready, because you never know when I will update.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Yeah, I agree. It's always so interesting to see their reactions to their significant others getting criticized.**

 **Love you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	71. Promises for Forever (Bal)

It was summer time in Auradon and the VKs were all staying with their guardians. It was early morning and one of the VKs was up uncharacteristically early. She was standing on her balcony watching the sun rise slowly over the horizon. She'd been back in Castle Beast for just over a week and it amazed how much it felt like home for her. Even the Isle, where she lived for sixteen years, never felt this much like home. She looked down at the rose gardens beneath her, where sometimes Belle and Adam would be sitting, Belle reading whatever book she had in her hands to Adam, as he stared at her lovingly and drinking in every word. At the moment, however, it was empty and glowing in the early morning light.

Mal watched the sun come up for a few more minutes before she heard a light knock on the door. She turned around, curious as to who would be knocking at this time in the morning (especially seeing as they all know how much she was not a morning person).

"Come in." She called softly. The person poked their head in and grinned his east grin. She smiled back at him while he came over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Morning." he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What are you doing up so early?"

She turned her head slightly to look at him, "How did you know I was up?" She countered.

"You were humming to yourself." he replied. "It's a pretty quiet morning so it wasn't hard to hear."

Mal smiled and leant her head back slightly so that it was resting on his chest. "I didn't notice."

Ben chuckled softly, "Well, you have a tendency to do it when you're deep in thought. So why are you up?"

"I could ask you the same." Mal replied, turning herself so that she was now facing him. When he gave her a look she just shrugged, "Couldn't sleep."

Ben sympathetically smiled at her, "Yeah, me neither. Too much going on in my head."

Mal nodded in agreement and rested her head on his chest again, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood there for a few minutes, just soaking in the peaceful silence, until Ben gently pulled away. "So, I was thinking, we could go out tonight? Have dinner at Tiana's and then go to the lake?"

Mal hummed in agreement before stopping and looking at him, "Or we could stay in? Just watch a movie and get a pizza or something?"

Ben seemed to think about it for a few minutes before nodding, "Yeah. We can do that."

She smiled happily and leaned up to peck him on the lips. "Thanks."

Ben grinned and kissed her forehead. They stayed in that room for a few hours, until Ben decided that the two of them should get breakfast before going to get some work done.

Mal looked up at Ben as sorted through the papers, smiling at the concentrated look on his face as he read over a few petitions. He took his work incredibly seriously and would do anything for his kingdom, a quality of his that Mal admired greatly. He was so dedicated and not only to his work, but also to her. He never did anything partly and gave his all to everything he did. She loved this about him. She loved everything about him, even his flaws.

He tapped his pen against the desk as he read the petition in his hands, trying to decide what to do. He sensed someone's eyes on him so he lifted his eyes and smiled at Mal, who was openly staring at him, a hint of a smile on her face.

"What?" he asked, grinning, "Have I got something on my face?"

Mal shook her head as she grinned back, "No. Just thinking."

"About?" Ben prompted, putting the petition on the desk. This was another thing Mal loved about him. He would happily drop everything he was doing just to hear a random thought of hers voiced, or to listen to her grumble about school, rumours and other things.

Mal smiled softly, "How much I love you." she replied honestly, her eyes sparkling with a soft happiness.

Ben grinned briefly before turning back to his work, "I love you too."

Mal went back to what she was doing, still smiling and glancing up every now and again, catching his eyes once or twice. She couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky that this honey-brown haired man in front of her had not been mad when he found out that she had given him a love potion, instead he'd kept loving her anyway. She often wondered if her life would have been different if she _hadn't_ slipped him a love potion, but she didn't really dwell on it, knowing that she wouldn't change what they had for anything. She grinned again at the thought before shaking her head and trying to focus on her work again.

Finally, after a long day of paperwork and meetings (which weren't as dull as the paperwork but were very tiring), Mal and Ben returned to his room and Mal immediately flopped onto the bed. Ben chuckled and lay next to her, wrapping his arm around her. Mal cuddled into him before suddenly sitting up, causing Ben to pout with the loss of her in his arms and his eyebrows to contort in confusion.

"I'm meant to be hanging out with the gang. We organised it ages ago. I'll see you later." She leaned down and pecked him on the lips before getting up and leaving the room, leaving Ben feeling slightly disappointed. The 20-year-old king sat up, running a hand through his hair before opening the drawer in his small bedside table. He felt around the back of it before his hand clasped around the object he was looking for. He pulled it out and opened it, smiling as the stone and band glinted up at him. He sighed and snapped the box closed again before putting it back in his drawer. He decided to go for a walk to clear his head after a long day so grabbed a jacket and walked out. As he walked out, he ran into two people who he'd wanted to talk to for a while.

"Oh, hey guys." He said, smiling.

The two boys smiled back, "Hey Ben." the shorter one replied.

"Can I ask you two something?" Ben asked, a little meekly.

Carlos glanced at his watch before sharing a quick look with Jay. He looked back at Ben, "Will it take long? We're supposed to be meeting the girls and they will be peeved if we're late."

Ben shook his head, "It'll only take a few seconds."

The boys nodded and listened to his question, before answering it. They both patted him on the back, smiling in a slightly goofy manner. Ben grinned brightly before thanking the boys and letting them go on their way. With a new spring in his step, Ben continues his walk around the grounds. He would have gone out to town but at that moment, he couldn't deal with reporters swarming him so he stayed inside the grounds, although he ended up heading back inside and sitting in the library with one of his favourite books. Getting lost in a good book was always relaxing and he rarely ever had time for it any more, so he never took these moments for granted and enjoyed them while he could.

A little while later, the door opened and Mal was suddenly sitting across from him, sketchbook and pencils in her hands.

"What happened to hanging out with the group?" Ben asked, bookmarking his place and closing his book.

Mal smiled, "We all had things we had to do. Besides, it's been like two hours."

Ben glanced up at the clock. He didn't realise how much time had passed, "Oh. Didn't realise that."

She just smiled at him before opening her sketchbook, which Ben took as a cue to go back to his book. He loved these moments. Moments of comfortable silence when the two of them found each other's presence enough. They didn't need to speak, they just needed to be. Mal's hand was drifting over the page quickly, yet so precisely, that Ben couldn't help but watch it move, admiring her ability to make a few lines of a page come to life. Mal glanced up and smiled at him before turning her page towards him so that he could see what she'd been sketching. It was a portrait of Ben, book in his hands, leaning back against his seat. He could tell she wasn't finish, as it wasn't complete shaded in, but even so, it was breath-taking. Her ability left him speechless every time.#

He smiled at her before going back to his book, turning the page gently, glancing up, catching her eye as she glanced up in order to draw him. After a little while, half an hour or so, Ben put his book down and stood. Mal put her pencil and other art supplies back in her bag and swung it over her shoulder as she stood up as well, taking his out-stretched hand.

"I believe I promised you a pizza and a movie." He said, squeezing her hand.

Mal grinned, "I believe you did."

"My room or yours?"

Mal thought for a second, "Yours." there was silence for a beat before she grinned at him wickedly, "Race you!" and with that, she took off, running.

"Oi, you. Get back here!" And with that he took off after her. Mal brought out the childish side of him, allowing him to be more free, whereas he'd spent a lot of his years learning to act properly as he was a prince and needed to set an example for his people. But with Mal, he could be childish and let loose a little. He chased her through the halls, catching up with her before she managed to reach his room. Mal squealed with delight when he came up behind her and caught her around the waist, lifting her up and spinning her before setting her back on the ground. They were both laughing like small children and Mal put her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. She brought him down for a kiss, which Ben deepened slightly, tilting his head and placing his hands on her waist. Mal pulled back and smirked at him before suddenly taking off again. Ben stood for a few seconds before running after her, exclaiming:

"Get back here, you little cheat."

Mal shut the door behind her and dived under Ben's covers, giggling. She too never really had the chance to have a normal childhood, so she and Ben acted like children whenever it was just the two of them.

Ben opened the door and saw the Mal-shaped lump in his bed, which was shaking from laughter.

"Roar!" He exclaimed, grabbing her sides, causing her to burst out laughing as she flipped the covers to reveal her messed up hair and a face pink with laughter.

Once the laughter died down, Mal sat up properly. "How about you have the pizza ordered and I'm going to grab some pyjamas."

Ben nodded and watched her as she jumped up and left, heading to her own room.

Once the pizza arrived, the two of them were sat under the covers in their pyjamas, munching away happily on their food, cuddled up together as a movie played in front of them. At the end of the movie, Mal got up and stretched before heading out to the balcony, where she leant on the edge with her arms. Her hair was a bit of a mess, blowing gently in the evening breeze, and she had slight bags under her eyes from not getting enough sleep. She was wearing only her flannel pyjamas and her feet were bare. And to Ben, she'd never looked more beautiful. He came up behind her and hugged her from behind, their hearts beating in sync with one another.

After a while, he pulled away and went to grab something.

"Mal?"

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes, which had fallen shut in bliss and looked over at him. She took in the object he was holding and his stance before smiling.

"Will you marry me?"

A beat. A smile. A tear. A word. A promise of forever.

"Yes."

 **Coco Jones, here it is! I hope I didn't disappoint. I was originally going to go with the cliché he proposes at the lake but then I decided that I wanted to do something different. Hope it was good enough.**

 **Request Counter: 0 *dives for cover as the requests come flying in***

 **Remember, I stop the requests after 20. I'm only human, guys. There is only so much I can do at once. Rules are in the intro. Also, there is a chance that it will take a long time for me to write some of these so don't be too disappointed if it takes me a while.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Yep, roller-coaster is pretty good way to describe it. I'm really happy you loved it though. I'm quite proud of it.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Maybe. They are amazing, but I don't really care if they get together in the movie or not. As long as they're at least close friends.**

 **Grace: Exactly. It's a very normal day. And you're welcome. Much love back My Perfect Auradonian.**

 **Anonymousette: Can't say that I've seen it.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Well, you have to remember, this is based on a kids movie. They probably try to avoid darker subjects, and maybe Ben did have them put in therapy. You never know.**

 **Love you guys so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	72. Leather Jacket (Jonnie)

It was a normal day in Auradon and children were leaving their final classes of the day. One girl put her stuff in her locker before heading to her boyfriend's room. He wasn't there yet, so she just picked up on his controllers and switched on the game consul. She sat down and began playing the game that she'd saved. She was getting really into the game when the door opened and the person who opened it sighed and turned to the boy behind him.  
"Your girlfriend is aware that this is our room, right?" Causing the guy behind him to smack him over the head.

"Mind if I join?" Jay asked, grabbing a controller and sitting next to her.

"Sure." Lonnie replied, hit a few buttons and they ran through a dark forest. Jay's avatar appeared next to her and the two of them began making their way through the level.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Lonnie, you know you have your own room right?"

"So?" Lonnie replied, not taking her eyes of the game, "Jay, get him, get him!" The sound of a dying goblin came from the TV.

"Why do you insist on hanging out here after school?" Carlos asked, pulling up his computer in order to do some homework.

"Because my room mate has all of her friends over again and I'll be damned if I have to listen to another hour of how hot some guy on the tourney team is." She replied.

"Lonnie, look out!" Jay cried out suddenly.

Lonnie's avatar took a massive hit before she was able to fight back, "Darn it!"

Carlos rolled his eyes and let his brother and his brother's girlfriend get on with what they were doing. Eventually, he got up and went to do homework in the library as it was quieter.

Lonnie and Jay barely noticed Carlos leave as they defeated the level. "Yes!" They cried out in victory before high-fiving and moving on to the next level.

"You know, maybe we should have a day-out soon." Lonnie said, "Watch the guy on your left."

"Thanks." Jay replied, "And what do you mean?"

"I dunno, go out to town or something. No!" She cried out in frustration as her avatar died, "I was so close!"

Jay laughed and kept going, until he realised his own avatar wouldn't last very long. "Is there anything specific you want to do?" He swore as his character died.

Lonnie glared at him for his language before shrugging. "I don't know. Just go out. As much as I love playing video games with you, I just think we should go out to town once in a while. It's not like I'm asking you to take me out for a fancy dinner or anything."

Jay nodded as he restarted the level from the checkpoint. "I guess so. We can go out to town tomorrow, if you want? Just please don't force me to do any shopping."

Lonnie laughed, "Don't worry. Shopping is something I'd do with the girls because they understand what looks good and what doesn't. You wouldn't care if I wore a potato sack."

"True. Oh here is where we went wrong. Watch out." They went through this bit of the level, concentrating hard on the game until they reached the next checkpoint. "Well, we managed it. We're in pretty bad shape, but we did it."

Lonnie hummed in agreement. "So, about tomorrow, how about I buy us lunch and then we hang around town? We could maybe hit the bowling alley or something as well."

Jay nodded, "Sounds good." They then sat in silence as they finished the level. "I'm going to go get a coke, want one?"

Lonnie nodded and thanked him as he left the room to head to the kitchens. Lonnie put the controller down and looked around the room, before noticing something on the end of Jay's bed. It was his leather jacket. The blue, red and yellow sleeveless jacket lay half on the bed and half on the floor. Lonnie chuckled at her boyfriend's messiness and picked it up, the cobra emblem of his father printed on the back. She smiled softly, knowing these emblems were still important to the VKs, despite the fact that living with their parents and under their parents control was in their past. They were, of course, still the VKs parents. And it was a reminder of who they were and where they came from. Just because they were now in Auradon, didn't mean their life on the Isle never existed. Lonnie opened Jay's closet and put the jacket with his other ones, before slowly running her hand across the top of each.

"Right, let's beat these suckers." Jay said as he walked in again, "Uh...Lon? What are you doing?"

Lonnie jumped and closed the closet door, "Sorry. You left your jacket lying around so I hung it up for you."

Jay smiled his thanks and tossed her a can of coke, which she only just about caught. She then sat down next to him and grabbed the controller again. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and playing video games (much to Carlos's dismay when he found them still at it after finishing his homework).

The next day, Lonnie woke up at her usual time (sunrise) and got ready for the day. After her morning run and her workout with Jay, she went back to her room in order to pick out some clothes to wear for her date with Jay. She decided to go with a pair of really comfy jeans and a baby blue Hanfu shirt. She put on white trainers and twisted her hair into a side-braid, letting it sit over her left shoulder. She did her make-up and then headed out to go get some breakfast with Jay.

"Hey." She said, sitting down with her rice porridge.

"Hey." The people on her table replied. It tended to vary who was there at breakfast depending on who slept late, or have things to do, or decided to skip breakfast (which Lonnie personally thought was a silly thing to do). Today it was Jordan, Jay, Carlos, Jane, Evie and Ally.

There were lessons after breakfast, of course, and they seemed to drag out for Lonnie, as she wasn't really paying attention, her mind drifting elsewhere.

At lunch, the whole gang was there (minus Ben as he had to go sit in a meeting for his lunch break). They sat and chatted throughout the whole break, until the bell rang signalling it was time to go to lesson, causing groans to rise from all over the table. Lonnie only had two lessons after lunch and they went by quickly as she tried her hardest in them, knowing that that way they would pass faster than she thought they were passing.

She and Jay met up at the gates after putting their stuff away in the locker. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they headed into town, smiling as they went.

Their first stop was the bowling alley. They played for about an hour or so and Lonnie came out on top, her aim being almost perfect that evening. After that, they headed out to get something to eat. Lonnie went inside the restaurant to buy them some food and brought it out to him, after having to wait in a long line.

"The queue was ridiculously long." She commented as she sat down on the bench next to him. "Business must be booming for them."

"At least you know it's good food." He replied, taking out his chopsticks and grabbing his Pad Thai. Lonnie smiled and opened her box full of green curry and began to eat it. They talked casually as they ate, about food, movies and other things that were on their minds. Once they finished their food, they decided to walk around the town and see if there were any shops they'd want to take a peak in. They went into the movies and merch store, which sold a wide range of movies and their merchandise. They enjoyed looking around but didn't end up buying anything. They also went into a video game store and a sports shop, as Lonnie needed some new gloves, hers were worn out.

Once the gloves were bought, Jay's phone beeped and he smiled as he checked it.

"I want to take you somewhere. Come on."

"Woah, Jay, wait!" Lonnie cried as he grabbed her hand and dragged her off, "Give me two seconds to find my balance." she nearly tripped before he stopped.

"Sorry. Just excited I guess."

Lonnie looked at him curiously as she regained her balance and took his hand back. "Okay? Lead the way, I suppose."

Jay smiled at her and led her to a small shop nearby the Thai restaurant where Lonnie had bought their food. In the window display was a bunch of leather jackets, in different shapes, sizes and colours. It was incredibly clean and looked new, so Lonnie guessed it hadn't been around long. It probably only popped up after VK, edgy style became fashion forward. Inside was small and cosy, with a few mirrors for people to look at themselves as they try on the jackets or the accessories which lay dotted around the place. There were no changing rooms or anything but it was only an accessory store so that was to be expected.

Jay went over to the counter and said something to the clerk, who handed him a jacket which was obviously for a woman. Lonnie looked at it curiously, wondering why he may have it when he gestured for her to follow him out. Once out, Jay took the jacket off the hangar and handed it to Lonnie. "Here. I thought you might like this."

"What's the occasion?" Lonnie asked, taking the jacket from him as she eyed him suspiciously.

"None. I just figured you might like one of your own, seeing as you seem to like them."

Lonnie smiled, "I could have bought one myself, you know."

"So what? I wanted to. Look at the back." Lonnie looked at him curiously before turning the jacket around and seeing that it had a sword crossing with a dragon.

"A dragon?" She asked curiously.

"You being Chinese, I figured it was appropriate." Lonnie smiled at him and kissed his cheek before slipping it on. It came to her waist and fitted over her torso perfectly. There were no spikes or anything like that. It was a simple, black leather jacket with a silver sword and a red dragon on the back.

"Thank you." She said, pulling her braid from where it was trapped under the collar and putting it over her shoulder again. "I love it."

Jay smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Leather suits you. You should wear it more often."

"Maybe I will." Lonnie replied as they walked back to Auradon Prep.

The VKs had emblems to remind themselves where they came from and who they are. For Lonnie, the jacket was a reminder of how she had changed. Both her and her mother had done something that was classed as 'Boys only' and come out on top, Lonnie as captain of the R.O.A.R team and her mother Hero of China. The fact that it was a leather jacket reminded Lonnie that Auradon has changed since the VKs arrived and it'll probably never go back to how it was. And that was okay, because a little VK edge is totally cool.

 **Here you go DragonEmperor999! I hope you liked it**

 **Request Counter: 18 (within half an hour as well, I believe. Like seriously guys, chill. Lol)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks mate.**

 **Grace: I will take that responsibility happily (as long as I'm allowed to threaten him as well)**

 **veroandlegolas: Thank you!**

 **Love you guys, even if the amount of requests flying in made me want to cry and then laugh and then sigh in exasperation. Lol**

 **SparkyGurl xxx**


	73. Pen-pals (Bal AU)

When the post of the day came in, the purple-haired sixteen-year-old teen internally squealed with delight as she saw a package among her letters. She made sure not to do it out-loud because she was meant to be one of the toughest girls in 'Dragon Hall: School For Young Delinquents' or as many pupils referred to it as, 'The Isle of the Lost'. They referred to it as the Isle of the Lost because they felt isolated from society and it was where the lost met the lost. Those who were lost from society and never to be found.

Dragon Hall was a big black building, with an eery feel and full of young delinquents who needed to be taught how to behave. Although, not all of the children there were 'delinquents'. Some were merely born in prison and put here as there was too many children in the foster system already. Mal was one of these children. Her mother, who went by the name of Maleficent, was a mass murderer, who poisoned a girl as well as the rest of her family, so that they'd fall asleep before dying, making it seem as though they died in their sleep. However, a doctor managed to revive the young woman (whom he later married) and they were able to capture Maleficent. She had been pregnant at the time, and Mal was the offspring. Her official name was Maleficent Bertha. She only used Mal, though, as she thought it sounded cooler. It means bad in several languages. How much more badass can you get?

Anyway, back to the present. Mal picked up her mail and went back to her room, which she shared with a blue haired girl, also born in prison. The blue-haired girl was fixing her make-up when Mal walked in.

"Hey E."

"Hey M." The girl replied, putting her make-up away. "Did he send you anything?"

Mal blushed, "Shh." Evie was her best friend and the only one who knew about her long distance friendship with a boy from Auradon Prep.

It had started a year or so ago, and the students of Auradon Prep (a large school for the rich where all the perfect children were) had to be penpals with the children in The Isle of the Lost, in order to give them a chance to meet people from different walks of life. Most people did an exchange that involved two or three letters and stopped after that but Mal was a different case. In order to seem cool, she only sent the guy she was supposed to be paired up with one letter, because she didn't need to be talking to some stuck-up boy over at the school of prisses. But the letter he had sent back was so sweet and made him seem so humble it made her heart-melt (although she told everyone that it was because it made her physically sick). From what she'd read, she'd worked out the guy was quite smart and so she sent him another letter which had her email address hidden among a bunch of clues. Luckily for her, he had cracked the code and emailed her days later.

Everyone in the Isle had laptops, as it was used for homework, making it more convient for both students and teachers. However, these laptops didn't have Wi-Fi. They had to research using books from the library. What they didn't know though, was that one kid, who was a severe tech-wiz, somehow managed to make his own router, so anyone who he was close to was allowed to access the internet.

Mal remembered the first email he'd sent her.

 _Ben_King: Hey. I managed to crack your code. You didn't make it easy, but you're lucky I like a challenge. I'm glad you wanted to stay in contact. Most people are already stopping contact with their pen-pals, but you intrigue me. I hope we can get to be good friends._

Mal had waited a little while to send him an email back.

 _Dragon_Fire_Mal: I_ intrigue _you do I? Well nice to know I make an impression. And maybe we will. Maybe we won't. Depends how you play your cards._

Well, from then on, he'd played them correctly and they were soon super close. Ben had begun sending her packages, mainly of pictures of him, his girlfriend, and his friends, but also other things that he'd seen and said reminded him of her. Her most treasured possession was a ring, with the crest of a beast head on it. He'd claimed that it reminded him of when he called her 'Beasty-boy' because she found out his parents had the same names as the protagonists of Beauty and the Beast. She never took it off and wore it over her fingerless gloves. She'd kept all the pictures and other things he'd sent safe in a small keepsake box.

The first time she asked why he sent pictures, he said it was because physical copies are nicer than virtual ones because they don't disappear if your computer crashes. And he wanted her to see a bit of his life as she couldn't physically be a part of it. That made her smile, although the only person who knew about her keepsake box and the pictures was Evie, the blue-haired girl who she shared a room with. Evie was her best friend, even if they did have the odd spat here and there.

Mal opened her package and a few more photos fell out. There were less and less of his girlfriend these days, much to Mal's delight (she didn't know why but she didn't like that girl) and instead, there were a few more group photos of him and his friends.

"Who is that?" Evie asked, looking through the photos. She pointed to one of the boys who had blonde hair and blue eyes and was wearing a blue shirt.

Mal took the photo from her. "Oh, that's Chad." She said, looking at the back, "According to Ben, he's a bit full of himself."

"I would be too if I were him, he's gorgeous." Evie said, twirling her hair, "But then again, so am I!"

Mal laughed and went through the pictures again, and looking at the back where Ben had written names, dates and places, making Mal almost feel like she was there.

She put her photos carefully in her keepsake box, and stored in the loose floorboard under her bed. Cliché, she knew that, but it worked.

She then got up and went to her computer.

 _Dragon_Fire_Mal: I got your package. E immediately had a crush on Chad. This was the first time I let her see the photos. Thank you for the pencils as well. I was running out so it'll be nice to be able to sketch again. I wish I could send them to you. Maybe some day._

The Isle of the Lost was harsh and it was very much survival of the fittest. If people knew she was exchanging things with someone in Auradon Prep, she'd be the top of the food chain. So, for a long time, she just emailed him. And he was okay with that, being the understanding, kind-hearted prince that he was (Mal called him a prince because his last name was King, just to annoy him).

And then, one day, someone walked into the dorm room, Mal and Evie's two best guy friends, Jay and Carlos, in a tow behind them.

"You four have been asked to come out to the visitors area." The strict guard said. The four exchanged looks. No one ever got visitors. Not here. But they went into the visitors area and there stood Ben, in a crisp white shirt, blue smart trousers and a blue blazer. Mal was shocked to the extent that she couldn't talk.

Ben gestured for them to sit. "Hey, I'm Ben. I've been studying this place for a while and I've decided that you four should be given a chance to leave, due to the fact that you were born in prison and not actually delinquents yourselves." Mal stared at him in shock. Well, he was straight to the point wasn't he? Ben continues, "My headmistress has agreed to a trial semester in Auradon Prep and my parents will be taking guardianship, and will take responsibility for you four."

The four of them sat for a while and just processed what they'd been told. "So, we're getting out of here?" Carlos, the youngest of the four asked meekly.

Ben nodded. Mal and Evie grinned at each other whilst the boys eyes just widened.

"When do we leave?" Evie asked, excitedly.

"As soon as you're packed. Mr Yen Sid has already agreed for you four to come."

Mr Yen Sid was the principal of the Isle of the Lost and was always good to the students, despite the harsh rules which only the board of governors could change. It made sense that he'd let them go. So, the other three left, heading straight to pack. Mal just stood and stared for a few seconds at Ben before doing something she'd never thought she'd ever do to anyone. She ran at him and threw her arms around him.

"It's really you." She whispered.

Ben smiled and hugged her tighter. "I know. I can't believe I get to meet you in person. When you told me the reason you were here, I had to do something about it. It wasn't your fault."

Mal nodded and pulled back. "You're amazing. I just have to pack some essentials and then I'll be right down." Within half an hour, everyone was packed and ready to go. They sped off towards the new school in a mini van. Mal smiled at Ben and looked ahead of her, happy she finally got this chance to leave the Isle. And none of this would have happened if she hadn't been pen-pals with a certain honey-browned haired boy, who sat next to her on the drive towards a brighter future.

 **Here you go, Grace! I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Request Counter: 39. Yeah. Requests are closed. I freaked out a lot when I saw that number. So it'll take a long time for them to come out but I promise they will all come eventually.**

 **Please note the name of the story. I will put open and closed in that title and will change it as soon as it hits my limit, so please check that before you request next time. Thank you.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: Oh trust me, I will. And thank you. I thought so too**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I'm glad you thought it was epic**

 **DragonEmperor999: It's black. I think I said that in the chapter.**

 **veroandlegolas: I felt sorry for Carlos too, lol. And thank you so so much. I hope you don't have to wait too long, but I'm unpredictable so who knows?**

 **xez2003: (chapter 72) I'm happy I managed as well. Let's hope I can do the same with these next ones. (chapter 71) I'm glad you liked it.**

 **Okay, guys, I love you, I do. But the amount of requests did cause me to panic a bit. I am fifteen. I have exams and school to worry about. So if my writing doesn't happen very often, I'm sorry. I promise I'll try.**

 **Love you!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	74. Safety Net (Huma)

The day started off as it normally did, with waking up and getting ready before heading to the cafeteria to eat breakfast with her 'crew'. The aqua-haired girl bid her friends goodbye after eating and headed to her locker. She opened it and let out a horrifying shriek as seaweed came pouring out of it, splattering at her feet as she jumped back to avoid getting hit by it. She stared at it in shock when some students laughed and she rounded on them.

"Oh very funny. Seaweed because I'm the daughter of of a _seawitch_. Creative." She spat. She sighed and nudged the seaweed away with her combat-boot clad foot and pulled out her books, which now reeked of seaweed. She sighed and said out-loud, so that anyone who heard could tell she wasn't bothered, "Well, I do like the smell of the sea. It's homey." And with that she closed her locker and headed off to class.

When the teacher commented politely on the smell, she just smiled and responded, "I was left a little present in my locker. People were obviously just trying to make me feel more welcome by putting seaweed in my locker, so I could have a little bit of home with me."

The teacher narrowed his eyes slightly suspiciously but, not wanting to embarrass her in front of the class, he smiled. "Well, I hope that it did make you feel more welcome. Go ahead and take a seat."

After class he asked her to stay behind and, once all the other students had left, he asked her if she wanted to report the incident as bullying. Uma smiled sweetly at him before shaking her head. "Of course not. They were just trying to be nice." It was obvious that she was lying but it was also obvious that there wasn't anyway to convince her to report the incident, so he let it slide and dismissed her.

Uma held her shoulders back and her head high as she walked to her next class. She sat down in the front and worked incredibly hard, more so than usual. When she went out to her lockers to grab her books for the next lesson, she saw writing scribbled all over it. She approached slowly and sighed as she saw words like _'Sea witch' 'Ursula' 'Octopus spawn'_ and other things, which all lacked creativity. She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows before rolling her eyes and collecting her books. Someone came up behind her and gasped. Uma turned to see Mal.

"Oh my goodness." She exclaimed, looking at Uma, sadly, "These pupils in Auradon lack creativity when it comes to insults. We should teach them a thing or two." Mal knew that sympathy was not something Uma ever wanted, so by cracking a joke, she showed Uma that she was there for her. Uma snickered and nodded in agreement. Mal smiled and gestured to the locker, "I'll paint over it for you." She said kindly.

Uma shrugged, "At least you know which locker is mine." She joked, "Although, I think if I see something as uncreative as ' _Cotillion wrecker'_ again, I might vomit."

Mal laughed and patted her shoulder before heading off to her own lesson. Uma took a deep breath and headed to her own class. Lessons until lunch were a blur and she was soon waiting in line for her food at the cafeteria. Suddenly someone pushed in front of her. She desperately wanted to grab the girl by the throat but that wouldn't be a good idea in Auradon Prep so she smiled sweetly and tapped her shoulder. "Sorry, but I was here first. Do you mind?"

The girl looked her up and down with a disgusted look on her face. "No way. I'm not going to let any of my food be infected by whatever diseases you sea spawn carry."

Uma was taken aback by the comment but before she could say anything, the girl put on a girly grin and tottered over to the lunch ladies. Uma followed her slowly, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Hurry up, sea witch. You'd think eight legs would make you go faster." commented the boy behind her. Gripping the sides of her tray so hard that it dug into her palms, Uma surged forward and got her food before heading over to go sit with Gil and Harry. Harry grinned his wickedly charming grin at her and scooted over a bit to give her more room to sit next to him. She smiled back and sat down, before beginning with her lunch.

"Something bothering you, captain?" Harry asked, quietly, looking at Uma.

Uma shook her head and kept eating, "Of course not." She said between bites, "I'm fine. Just hungry. Lessons were hard today."

Harry knew Uma was hiding something from him but chose not to push, as that would only make her push him away. Instead he settled for their normal routine of stealing food from each other, just so that they could steal something and get away with it. As usual, it ended in a mini sword fight with butter-knives and Harry was glad to see Uma's smile back and she knocked the knife out of his hand (making sure to do it gently so it won't go flying across the room and hit someone). They walked together to their lockers after lunch, chatting casually. Harry stopped when he saw the insults on her locker.

"Who did that?" He demanded, pointing at the insults covering her locker and noticing small bits of seaweed hanging out here and there.

Uma shrugged, "People who need more creativity." She replied simply, opening her locker quickly and grabbing the books she needed. "Mal will paint over it later today. The uncreative insults are making me cringe with sympathy for them."

Harry frowned and growled a little, "Whoever they are, I'll hook them, I swear."

Uma shook her head, "Harry, chill. It's alright. They just need to take How to Creatively Insult Someone classes. Maybe they should make that a class here in Auradon too." Uma joked.

Harry gave a frustrated huff but dropped the subject. He took her hand and planted a quick kiss on it, before going to grab his own books from his locker. He heard a crash behind him and whipped around to see Uma trying to pick up her books, which had fallen to the floor, a few people walking away from her laughing.

"Serves you right, king-napper!" They yelled behind them. Harry desperately wanted to hook them, but he went to go see if Uma was okay, first. He ran up to her and picked up her homework which lay scattered around.  
"You okay?" He asked gently, handing it to her.

Uma took it with a smile, "Of course. We were doing this back in preschool. Honestly, you'd think they'd be further advanced in how to hurt people. But then again, they are perfect princess and princes."

Harry went to speak but Uma cut him off, knowing that he was going to say something about the incident that she didn't feel like hearing. "I'd better get to class." And with that, she stood up and walked away. As she walked through the halls, she kept hearing insults being muttered. "Witch." "Sea spawn." "Ursula." "Sea monster." She kept her shoulders back and did her best to ignore them, going straight to class and keeping her focus on the lesson. As the final lesson of the day came to a close, she speed-walked to her locker so that she could go back to her room to be alone for a few minutes before choir practice.

As she walked, someone shoved their shoulder into her, causing her to stumble and fall onto the lockers next to her. "You shouldn't be here Sea Monster. Go back to the Isle where you belong."  
Uma regained her balance and kept walking to her locker. Mal obviously (and understandably) and had time to paint over it so the words were still there and every one she was was like a knife to the heart. She held her face neutral to look not bothered and put her books away. She was walking past the boys dorms on the way to her own when she felt someone grab her hand and pull her in to a room. A hand clasped over her mouth to stop her from screaming. It pulled away and she whipped around to see Harry there.

"Harry! What the hell?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

"Sorry, but didn't know how else to get you to stop. Come on, I want to take you somewhere." He grabbed her hand and led her out of his dorm room, and towards the auditorium where the choir would be practising. He told her to wait for a second and he went inside. A few moments later, he came back out, grinning a mischievous grin and led her to a small room, not far from the auditorium. It was empty and had a few pieces of mismatched furniture dotted around. It was a student lounge once upon a time, but it was rarely in use, now that there was a bigger one that was much comfier and more spacious. This room was now used to store any unwanted furniture from dorm rooms, the student lounge itself etc.

Harry sat down on one of the old love-seats and pulled her down next to him. "Talk to me, love." He only called her love when they were alone and when he was worried about her, so she knew he wasn't going to let it drop until she talked.

"Harry, I'm fine." She tried to convince him quietly, "It was just a few stupid comments and some idiots who thought that they were better than me."

Harry gave her a soft look and ran a hand through her hair, "Uma..."

Tears started filling Uma's eyes, "And it doesn't matter. I've had worse back on the Isle." She sniffed a little and tried to hold back her tears.

Harry nuzzled her neck and gently placed a kiss on it before whispering, "It's just you and me now."

Uma knew what he meant and the tears started falling as she talked, "I just wish I could escape what my mother did. What _I_ did. But I can't. They won't let me forget or start again." She sobbed, "And I feel so pathetic for crying about this because I've had so much worse before and I feel like an idiot but I just can't deal with this any more. Any of it. I know I shouldn't cry, because I'm supposed to be strong but I can't help it. It hurts!"

Harry wiped a couple tears away and held her close. "Crying doesn't mean you're weak, love. It means you've been strong for too long." He said, rubbing his hand gently up and down her arm.

Uma choked out a laugh, "You sound like one of those motivational posters in the therapists office."

He weakly chuckled, "'cause that's wear I saw it. Figured it'd be okay if I nicked it."

Uma gave a watery smile before putting her head on the crook of his neck and crying some more. "I just want out. I want everyone to forget what I did. To give me a chance to prove myself."

Suddenly, she heard music and knew it was from the choir. Harry must have told the choir master that she wasn't going to be there. She sat quietly and listened to the lyrics. They were singing 'When You Wish Upon a Star.' and when the lyrics said 'Fate is kind', she gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah. She isn't kind to me." Harry pulled her tighter against his side and let her continue, knowing she had more to say, "I wish I could prove to them that I am more than just the daughter of Ursula who kidnapped the king and put him under a love spell."

Harry nodded in agreement, knowing exactly what she meant. "And you will. And people will think more of you because you pushed through all the hatred you're getting and still carried on. You're strong and you can do it. But when you need to be weak, I'm right here. No one else has to see it."

Uma smiled at him, tears sparkling in her eyes and running down her cheeks. "Thank you, Harry. You are the best first-mate a girl could ask for."

Harry grinned at her with one of his easy grins and leant down to kiss her gently. "Aye. And you're the best captain any first-mate could have."

She grinned back at him and they sat there, cuddling until the tears stopped. Once she'd wiped away the evidence of her tears, the two of them headed back to their dorms. They reached Harry's first, so Uma put her arms around his neck and smiled at him.

"Thank you for being my safety net." She thanked earnestly before pulling him down and kissing him gently.

Harry grinned as he pulled back. "Always." he whispered softly in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She smiled at him again before letting go and heading to her own dorm, occasionally glancing over her shoulder at the boy who stole her heart and stood in his doorway, watching her till she was out of sight.

 **Grace! Look! I wrote it!**

 **Request Counter: 38**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yep, it is a lot. But I'll manage.**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm glad you liked it so much and thank you. Your words mean a lot to me.**

 **Benny-Boo: Sorry, you came just too late. I'm afraid the requests are closed. But knowing me, there may be some bickering Bal in one of the oneshots (Who knows? You never really know with me)**

 **xez2003: Thank you. You are completely right. I guess the amount just frightened me a little but I'll be okay. It'll just be a while before requests are open again.**

 **Grace: I handled 40 requests flying at me by screaming and swearing at you. Yes, great thing to admire there. Lol. Thank you for being there though. Couldn't do this without you.**

 **Disneyfananalyst: I might take that into consideration. Probably won't happen, admittedly, but if I ever feel like writing a full length fanfiction, I will definitely think about writing this one.**

 **MelMartinezXOX: Don't worry, I wasn't confused. But thank you for clearing it up anyway!**

 **Random person: I'm glad you liked it. And due to the amount of oneshots I have to do, unlikely. Sorry.**

 **Guest: Thank you for your support. It means a lot to me.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I agree. The Isle of the Lost is a penal colony. And no, love really doesn't have a boderland.**

 **Love you all so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	75. When They Knew (Jay and Mal)

The young faerie had run out of the slop shop, the scalding hot coffee in hand, laughing at the stupidity of the goblins. She'd then slowly walked to school, hoping to be late. A hand had reached out and nabbed her cup of coffee (or more accurately, mud) right out of her hand. She had gaped and looked around for the culprit. She saw a boy in a red beanie and a yellow and purple vest run away from her. That's when she knew she had competition for stealing.

The thief had given her his winning grin when she got to school. He smirked, raising an eyebrow and winking, which normally worked on all the girls (even at this young age). They often say his easy going, flirty grin made the dull grey days on the Isle seem more bright. He thought it would work for her too as she demanded her coffee back. She had just snarled at him and told him to quit smiling, or she'd wipe the smile right off of his face. Literally. That's when he knew that the girl in front of him was vicious and could turn out to be very helpful to have as a partner one day.

The faerie had nearly tripped as the vendor she was running away from tried to catch up with her. Her purple hair whipped into her face and her stolen items almost fell from her pockets. A hand had reached out and pulled her into a hidden alleyway. It was the thief who had stolen her coffee the other week. He knew all the hidden alleyways, best hiding spots and all the tricks of the trade when it came to stealing. He taught her everything he knew about getting away, and she taught him everything she knew about how to hurt people when necessary. That's when they knew that had found a partner to run with (and take the blame if they got caught).

The prince of thieves (as he liked to call himself) had grinned when he saw her in the marketplace, drinking a cup of coffee from the slop shop. He had stolen it from her, almost unseen, leaving her confused before she called out for him to come out of hiding. He'd smirked and they'd done their usual trade and usual competition of who was the better thief that morning (she won obviously). As she'd watched down her cup of coffee before the trading, that was when she knew that she was never going to be able to drink her mud-tasting coffee without him trying to take it off her.

The daughter of the evilest of them all had glared angrily as he told her about the princess who had transferred to Dragon Hall after being castle-schooled for most of her life. He had listened to her angry, acidic voice as she claimed that he must be wrong and remembered that the conflict she'd had with a certain blue-haired princess due to not having an invite to a sixth birthday party. That when he knew that he had a revenge plan on their hands.

The son of the sorcerer had smirked as his partner manipulated little puppy boy into hosting a hell-raiser. She had a game plan and knew exactly what she was doing. The idea she had made him grin with evil glee and he had also been excited because where there were parties, there were cute girls. It was an awesome idea. That's when they knew that this party could give them what they wanted (though how drastically it would change their lives, they had no clue).

The purple-haired girl had never expected her mother to send her on a mission after the party. Jay had told her it was a silly idea. And after not sleeping properly and realising she'd be too useless to do it anyway, she'd given up. That was until Lady Tremaine caused her to come up with a nasty plot to end all nasty plots. Evil like no one had seen before. And Jay had unexpectedly agreed with her. That's when she knew that she could depend on him when she needed to do something stupid and dangerous.

The long-haired boy had to admit something. That mission had been a little on the freaky side. Not that he didn't like freaky. Luckily, they'd passed all the test and they'd gotten to the sceptre. They'd almost let the princess grab the sceptre, knowing it would send her into a thousand year sleep. But then his partner in crime had grabbed it and fallen asleep for a few seconds. That had not been what was supposed to happen. But that was when he knew that, despite everything she did to prove the opposite, the faerie had some good in her.

The girl with the dragon markings on her arm would have never had guessed that the other two people to join her gang would be the blueberry princess and the wimpy boy who was afraid of puppies. In fact, if you had told her that, she would have laughed in your face and stolen something from you before running away to show off to her partner that she was better. And deep down, she had been almost afraid that her bond with her partner wouldn't be as strong (but bonds are disgusting of course so there wasn't one). But when they ran off, singing, dancing and causing havoc, that was when they knew that they were even closer than before and their group got bigger in the process.

The thief had stared at his partner's mum in shock. They were being forced to go to boarding school all so that they could steal a wand and destroy good for all time. Admittedly, the stealing a wand bit hadn't sounded too bad. It could be the big score he'd been looking for his whole life. Maybe his dad would finally be proud of him. When his partner looked at his face, she saw the faint eagerness she knew came with the want to steal under the annoyance of having to go to Auradon. That's when she knew she'd need him by her side in order to steal the wand.

The purple-haired faerie had screamed when the bridge to Auradon was activated. She had been terrified that they were just finding a cruel way to kill off the next generation of villains. They could have lured them in under false pretences and then drowned them. Then they could claim they had arrived in Auradon and were allowed no contact with the Isle. That's how she would do it. When he saw that she'd, too. been terrified, that's when he knew that they would have to stick together more than ever, because they had all been in the same boat, going to somewhere new and new was scary.

The son of the sorcerer's first impression hadn't been great. He had tumbled out of the limo, fighting with the white-haired son of the crazy seamstress. The girls had told them off, as they had had an audience. He had stood up and put everything back when he saw that there were people everywhere. They had been introduced to the fairy godmother, and to the future king of Auradon. He had to admit, the girl who claimed to be the prince's girlfriend was HOT, but he had been there for a different reason. As the prince started to take them on a tour, the two older friends had shared a look. That was when they knew that they had to get out of there. Everyone was so nice.

The daughter of the darkness had enjoyed their little trip to the museum, even if it had been a failure. Showing off her magic had been totally worth it. Watching the thief fall when she'd opened the door with magic had been hilarious. The statues of their parents and the excessive security, on the other hand, had not been. Her partner in crime had tried to grab the wand despite her warning and set the alarm off. That's when she knew that stealing the wand was going to be harder than any of them originally thought.

The long-haired boy had to admit, once the purplette had explained it, Remedial Goodness had been kinda easy. And tourney had been awesome. And then he had been put on the team, which had been epic. And then he had been with the rest of the group in the girl's dorm when the prince had come along and asked them if they needed anything. When the faerie had gotten the answer she wanted from the prince about the coronation, she'd turned to the group and that was when he knew that she had something wicked up her sleeve.

The daughter of the evilest of them all would never admit this out-loud but she had enjoyed baking. It had been fun, even if she had been making a love potion. But then, the daughter of Mulan had walked in, testing the potion and saying to add chocolate chips. When she'd been surprised that they'd never been loved by their parents and shed a tear, they'd taken the tear and sent her away. That was when they knew that they'd weren't loved by their parents the way they thought they had.

The new tourney player had flown across the field and scored the winning point for his team, never having felt prouder of himself. His oldest friend had never been prouder of him either. That day had been amazing for all of them, as they had been more accepted, purely for the reason a VK had been named MVP. She could have done without the serenading at the end, but hey, no pain, no gain. And when her friend had been lifted on to the shoulders of his teammates, that's when she knew that leaving Auradon may be harder than she thought.

The faerie had had a new glow about her after her date with the prince. Her friends had all noticed, so they were all surprised when she had said she wanted to break the love spell. The thief had wondered why and then Family Day had happened. He had appreciated the prince defending his friend, but when the jerk prince had hit the blue-haired princesses hand away, the future king had to hold him back. The four of them had had to run off, not wanting to cause any more trouble. He had then seen Mal's reaction to being told that she could never be queen, due to being a villain. That's when he knew that what was between her and the future king had been more than trying to get to the wand.

The thief had stood above in the balcony with the other two, his old partner-in-crime below waiting to take the wand. Then everything had gone wrong when the fairy goddaughter had taken the wand and then his partner's mum came. They had had to fight her and his oldest friend managed to beat her with a spell she had invented, using her love for her friends against her. And that's when they all knew that there was no way they wouldn't be staying.

The girlfriend of the king had cracked under the pressure. Too much had happened. Not only had she fought with her boyfriend but everything else was weighing down on her. She couldn't have been this perfect lady of the court. It wasn't going to happen. So she had done the only thing she knew to do. Run. She had written her best friend a note and got on her bike. No matter how much she'd miss her friends, she couldn't make them come with her. She wouldn't do that to them, no matter what they had been through together. That's when she knew that she would be alone.

The ex-thief decided that this had been their craziest adventure. They'd had to find their purple-haired friend, then they'd lost the king, and they'd had to create a copy of the wand in order to get the king back from the pirates. Yep. Crazy. They had got back from the Isle, and he had told his sister that if she wanted to go back to the Isle, he'd drive her himself. That's when he knew he'd do anything to make sure she was happy.

Mal had to say that Cotillion was incredibly eventful. From Ben being under a love-potion because of Uma, to the stain-glass window, to them having true loves kiss, to fighting with Uma, to the final dance. It had all been crazy but she had had her best friends by her side the whole time. All of them on her side at all times. And during a slow dance that day, Mal had glanced over at Jay, a smile on her face, that was when they both knew that she wouldn't be needing him to drive her back to the Isle. That's when they knew that their friendship, whether on the Isle or in Auradon, was going to be permanent and they'd always be there for each other, no matter what.

 **Here you go Moon-Princess-Serena1993. I really hope you liked it.**

 **Request Counter: 37**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Yep, they are. Well, some of them, anyway. And I agree, they are a great couple. Actually, I do have tip when it comes to writer's block. Write any idea you have down. Even if it seems stupid. Just write whatever pops into your head, whether it's a word, an idea, a character, a description of a tree, anything. Just write it down. If you keep doing that, you might eventually come across something that you can use. That's what works for me.**

 **Grace: Amen, our friendship is definitely a gift from Him. And I am so glad He put us together. I wouldn't be able to do this without you.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: Hey, she's going through a lot. It's kinda understandable why she'd cry.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: You made me giggle. Thank you. I needed that. I love Huma too! And *pokes* yeah...I killed you. Sorry! Oops.**

 **Randomn: I am so sorry. You must be so confused and disappointed. This request came in via PM before you requested your oneshot. I am so sorry about the confusion. I hope you had a good birthday anyway! Happy Birthday.**

 **Owllover34: Thanks!**

 **Marecal: As much as I appreciate the eagerness 'Please Update Soon' doesn't motivate me. It just annoys me. Sorry.**

 **Love you all so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	76. Messing Up (Jonnie)

It was a bright and sunny day in Auradon, as per usual. Nothing particularly interesting was happening that day and the streets of Auradon City were busy with people going about their business as normal. The castle-turned-school stood proud and tall, the windows sparkling brightly and the floors polished so that they shined. The hallway of the girls' dorm was full of giggling girls as they tottered around in their fancy heels and headed to and from their dorm rooms.

Inside one of these dorm rooms, a girl was laying on her bed, passing the time by playing games on her phone. She had done all her homework and had worked out a training regime with the coach and her brother, the assistant coach. She was a little bit bored, but playing games did help pass the time. Eventually, she sat up and looked outside, looking at how nice of a day it was. It was always a nice day in Auradon, but due to the fact that she was bored out of her mind, outside seemed even more appealing. She got up and grabbed her trainers, sliding them on before grabbing her phone and heading outside into the warm, fresh air.

Lonnie headed off to the park, nearby the school, and watched the skateboarders flying off the ramps, alongside people on scooters and bikes, all doing tricks and flips. She smiled as one of the guys caught her watching and winked at her. It wasn't uncommon that boys flirted with her so she tends to just ignore it and give them a polite smile back. She watched as the guy who had winked at her did a flip on his skateboard and landed it perfectly. She got bored after a while, feeling the need to get up and walk around, so she did just that, walking around the duck pond and towards a cluster of trees. Among the trees, she noticed a cherry tree, blossoming in the warm daylight. It made her think of her parents and how they saved China. She smiled as she thought about all her parents had done in order to save their country.

Her mind then trailed to other things, such as the kind of badass things her mother had to do when fighting the war, such as setting off a cannon, shimmying up a pillar with weights tied to her hands, and jumping from roof to roof in order to get away from the Huns. For some reason, that last one really stuck in her mind. She thought about it as she walked towards Auradon Prep again. She wouldn't be able to jump from roof to roof here in Auradon Prep but maybe she can do something similar. She thought about the amphitheatre and how hight the balconies there were. She wondered if she could perhaps try and jump down from those, as there was always a soft landing beneath because of R.O.A.R training. Maybe she could swing around several poles before landing on the floor. She'd need to get a lot of rope, but she could probably do it. Besides, she had incredible strength.

Lonnie found some rope among other climbing gear and headed to the deserted amphitheatre. She began wrapping a few ropes around the poles before heading to the balcony. She grabbed one of the ropes, took a deep breath and then jumped. It swung, heading for the other side of the room, where she grabbed another rope, slipping a little, making her thankful that she'd wrapped up her hands, as it reduced the chance of rope burn. She pushed herself forward and leapt, grabbing the next rope in the nick of time. Laughing in relief and excitement, she held on for a few seconds before swinging to the next one. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she swung from rope to rope. It was such a free feeling, to be doing something so exciting and being able to practically fly through the air. She jumped on another rope and let it swing around the pillar before she leapt off and grabbed another one. She swung on it from one end of the room till the other, grabbing the next rope. She went at it for what felt like a few mere minutes, but was probably just over an hour, or maybe even more, just hopping from rope to rope, enjoying herself as she swung from the ropes and did a few tricks. At one point, she hopped off the rope, flipped through the air, landed on her feet, before running and jumping to grab another rope and keep swinging. She didn't stop until she heard a loud voice cry out to her, "What in Auradon are you doing?"

Lonnie jumped off the rope and landed on the mat with a roll, before standing up and grinning at her boyfriend. "Hey, Jay! I was just swinging. Want to join?"

Jay looked mad as he began heading to the doors leading to the balcony. "What is wrong with you? This isn't safe and you could have gotten seriously hurt, especially as no one was there to look out for you."

Lonnie shrugged, "I was bored and wanted to try something new." She followed Jay upstairs, "It was so much fun. You should seriously try it."

Jay began untying some of the ropes. "This isn't made for swinging on. Something could have broken and you could have fallen and hurt yourself severely."

Lonnie sighed and stomped her foot, in frustration. "Well excuse me for wanting to be adventurous for once. And nothing happened! I'm fine!"

Jay turned, as he began wrapping up the rope, "But something could have! You shouldn't be doing anything this stupid, especially when there is no one to make sure you're okay!"

"Stupid?" Lonnie demanded, looking offended.

"Yes! Stupid! What you just did is stupidly dangerous! And you shouldn't have done it!" Jay yelled, obviously getting more and more frustrated by the second.

"Oh, like you had people helping you when you jumped off buildings back in the Isle!" Lonnie retorted.

"I was on the Isle! Help wasn't a thing unless it was helping others get revenge!"

"You can't use the Isle as an excuse every time you want to be a hypocrite!" Lonnie yelled back, "You did because you wanted to!"

"I did it to escape!" Jay threw the ropes he was holding on the ground. "I did it so that I could escape from people so that I could bring things that I had stolen to my father before something like this happened again!" He pulled up his t-shirt so his long white scar that was across his stomach showed. Lonnie winced a bit as Jay tugged his shirt back down. "You did this because you were bored. Do you know how stupid it is to put yourself in danger like that?"

Lonnie groaned, "I'm fine, I knew what I was doing! Besides, so what if I was bored!"

Jay huffed in frustration, "I swear, you only do ridiculous stuff like this because you're never going to be your mum!"

Lonnie gasped in horror before slapping Jay around the face. She was speechless with anger, which had been boiling up until this moment, where it all came flooding out. But rather than yelling, glaring or even hitting her back, like she would have expected him to, Jay looked at her with the most hurt expression she had ever seen on his face. His eyes were filling with tears, and a hand had raised to hold his cheek. He was gaping at her in disbelief and before either had the chance to do or say anything, Jay turned on his heel and fled.

As her anger was still coursing through her body, Lonnie frustratingly began to put the ropes away. But as she looked at her hands untying a knot, she dropped the ropes in shock-horror. What had she done? What had she done?! Her hands shook as she realised in horror that she'd hit Jay. Hit him. She ran out of there, running as fast as her feet would carry her to Jay's room. Once she got there, she pounded on the door.

"What?" Carlos demanded, ripping open the door, looking angrier than Lonnie had ever seen him.

"Is Jay here? I need to talk to him!" Lonnie asked, desperate.

Carlos shook his head. "He's not here and I don't know where he is. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." He added with a sneer. "How could you do that to him?"

Before Lonnie got a chance to answer, Carlos slammed the door closed, leaving Lonnie more angry at herself than she already was. She ran towards the girls' dorm, hoping she was right about where he was this time.

When Mal opened the door after Lonnie had frantically knocked, however, all she did was roll her eyes and attempt to shut the door.

"Mal, please!" Lonnie put her hand on the door to stop it. "Please, tell me where to find him. I need to make things right with him."

The faerie refused to speak and shut the door again, slamming it in Lonnie's face. Lonnie stood back and was suddenly at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, the sound of heels on the wooden floor was heard, tottering up the hall. It was Evie.

Lonnie turned to her, hoping Evie's level-headedness will have sympathy, or at the very least mercy, on Lonnie and let her find Jay.

"Evie." She said as the blue-haired girl approached, "I need to find Jay. Do you know where he is?"

Lonnie looked on the verge of tears as she spoke. Evie pursed her lips before sighing.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" She asked, quietly, "It wasn't just that you hit him. It was that you hit him. You're the person he loves more than anything in this world. And you hit him. It caused far more than the physical hurt."

Lonnie looked down in shame, the tears she'd been holding back finally coming free. "I know. I don't know what came over me." She put her back against the wall to support her and held her head in her hands. "What have I done? I'm so stupid." She slammed her head into the wall.

"Yes, you are." Evie agreed, "I'm not going to deny that. You really are incredibly stupid."

Lonnie looked down at her feet, never feeling more ashamed than now, and knowing she must have brought some sort of dishonour upon herself because of what she'd done.

"But," Evie continued, "You're also smart enough to know how to fix this. You're one of the most important things to Jay. And if you don't go fix this, I will personally make sure your life is a living hell."

Lonnie looked a little scare but smiled a tiny bit, "Good thing I'm going to try and fix this then."

Evie nodded, "The woods behind the tourney field. Go."

The warrior thanked Evie and took off running. She didn't stop running until she reached the woods, despite the burning in her legs from the speed and distance she was running. She kept going, feet pounding into the ground as she pelted at full speed. She was determined to apologise to him as soon as possible. She ran and ran until she saw him.

He was sitting against a tree, his face buried in his knees, his shoulders shaking, sobs racking his whole body. Lonnie nearly collapsed at the sight. She'd never seen Jay cry before. And now, here he was, sobbing his eyes out. Lonnie slowly approached him, as though any sudden movements would send him running again. She lowered herself to her knees and tentatively began stroking Jay's hair in a comforting manner.

"Jay," She began, her voice choking up as her own tears began, "Oh, Jay, I am so sorry. I don't what came over me. I'm so stup-" Her words were cut off by Jay suddenly pulling her into his arms and sobbing into her shoulder. Lonnie didn't think twice as she wrapped her arms around him, keeping him steady as he cried. She winced a little when she saw the red hand mark on his cheek. She kissed it gently, whispering another apology. She moved so that the two of them could sit more comfortably and sat, apologising over and over, kissing his cheek after every apology.

"I love you so much, Jay. I swear I'll never do anything like that again." She murmured at one point.

Once Jay's sobs died down a bit, he just sat with his head resting on Lonnie's shoulder.

"When you hit me..." he began hesitantly, "It was like my dad was there again. It made me think you hated me."

Lonnie shook her head, "Jay, I don't hate you, I swear. I love you more than life itself. I was irrationally angry at you. But I could never hate you."

"I'm sorry, Lon. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you." He replied, wiping his face.

She shook her head again, "No, you were just trying to protect me. And you were right. Everything you said was right. I shouldn't have hit you. I swear on my mother's sword that I'll never do that again." She kissed the mark on his cheek again. "God, I am so stupid."

Jay didn't disagree with her but he sat up and pulled her in for a proper hug, placing kisses on her shoulder as a sign that she was forgiven.

Lonnie kept her promise. She never hit him again. Any time she felt like she was going to, she hit something else, whether it was a wall or her leg or anything else, but she never hit him. And after that incident, they became stronger and closer than ever, as Jay now trusted Lonnie enough to show her his weakest side. She was always who he went to when he knew he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. It didn't happen often, but they always got through it together.

 **Here it is Randomn! I finally did it! The first bit wasn't very good, but that's what writing with writer's block looks like. I know, not pretty. It was really difficult for some reason but as soon as I got to the argument, everything flowed out from there with ease. I'm so sorry about how long this took. Please forgive me. Still, I guess it can be a very late birthday present? Hope you had a good birthday anyway!**

 **Request Counter: 36**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Moon-Princess-Serena1993: I'm so glad you liked it! I loved writing it! It was kinda fun.**

 **Randomn: I really wanted it to come out only a few days later so I am so sorry it took this long to come out. Writer's block hit me at the wrong time (although, is there ever a right time for writer's block?) Also, thanks for bringing the wattpad incident to light. I can't find the story, but if you can find it again, can you tag me so that I can see it? (my wattpad username is JessieSpark) Thanks!**

 **Owllover34: Okay, wow. I have to tell you, dropping the sister-bomb left me and Grace both just mind-blown. Took us a while to get our heads around it XD . As for the wattpad thing, the link isn't working so if you or Randomn could tag me (JessieSpark) in the story, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks!**

 **veroandlegolas: Awww, thanks Vero! And good luck with the writer's block. It's a really nasty thing to go through, so I hope you manage to get through it soon.**

 **Grace: It's one of my favourites things too. And thank you, my dear. You're too kind.**

 **EroSlackerMicha: I'm glad you liked it!**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I really hope it doesn't take too long either, but we'll see. It isn't looking very good at the moment.**

 **DragonEmperor999: (chapter 74) Thanks (Chapter 75) thanks and I don't think so. They have a sibling-like relationship. I don't think they'd be a good couple.**

 **FlatFox: (chapter 60) awww, thank you! (chapter 61) Yeah, it was. I do some serious things, but it's emotionally challenging so the slightly less serious, more light-hearted ones are easier to write. (chapter 62) Ikr? It was one of my favourite ones to write. I love things that are sweet and simple.**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	77. Protecting Their Own (Dizzy and Core 4)

The sun was high in the sky, as the summer heat beat down upon the people who were going around town, sitting in restaurants and coffee shops, shopping in their favourite shops or just hanging out around town.

On the outskirts of town, in a red-brick house, with a beautiful front lawn that was green as an emerald and a back garden that had a flower patch, a vegetable patch, a barbecue and an outdoor dining table, a young teenage girl was laying on her bed playing with her phone, her large gold headphones around her neck. She was texting a friend (or, rather, someone she hopes would one day become more than a friend i.e. her crush) when her guardians walked in.

Dizzy loved her guardians very much, but she asked them not to adopt her, as being Drizella's daughter was part of who she was and she wasn't ready to just push that aside. Her guardians had been perfectly fine with that and now she refers to them as 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' as a sort of reminder that despite not having the same name, she was still part of the family.

Uncle Richard knocked lightly on her door as they walked in. Dizzy sat up and smiled at them. "Hi guys," she said, putting her phone down.

"Hey, sweetie." Aunt Crystal replied, "We have a business trip that we need to go on this weekend, so we've organised for Evie to come babysit you."

"Aunt Crystal, I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm fifteen." Dizzy said, a little exasperated.

"I know, but I'd feel better knowing that you have someone looking after you. Besides, you love Evie!"

Dizzy smiled, "I know but still." she pouted slightly, causing Crystal to roll her eyes and Richard to lightly chuckle.

"It'll only be for a few days." She reminded.

The teenage girl sighed, "Fine."

Crystal smiled and left, saying that dinner would be ready soon.

"You'll be fine, kiddo," Richard said with a wink, before following his wife out of the room.

Dizzy sighed and went back to texting her crush. She laughed at something he said and sent back a text that read:

 _lol, ur so cute sometimes._

She gasped once she sent it, smacking her forehead with her hand. He'll probably think she some kind of weirdo now. Oh no. Oh dear. She breathed in and out slowly, waiting for his response before she corrected herself.

 _Am I now ;) Cute enough for you to go on a date with me Saturday?_

Dizzy grabbed a pillow and screamed into it in excitement. She got off the bed and danced around the room, feeling over the moon. She then took a deep breath and sat down, texting back.

 _Sure. Why not? One date won't hurt._

She sent it, hoping to sound way more chill then she felt because inside she was freaking out and on the outside, she was jumping for joy, her pigtails bouncing as she did. She nearly screamed again when he texted back, but she managed to keep her cool as she sat back down on her bed to check the message.

 _Wait, really? Great! I'll pick you up at three and have you home by eight at the latest ;)_

Dizzy grinned happily and lay back on her bed, feeling the butterflies in her stomach going wild. Her phone suddenly buzzed again.

 _Your guardians won't interrogate me, will they?_

Dizzy chuckled and sent back a text, reassuring him.

 _They're out of town this weekend. You'll be fine._

They continued texting after that, talking about the date among other things. Dizzy felt overwhelmingly excited and she couldn't wait to tell Evie when she arrived in a few days time.

That night she went to bed still grinning and dreaming of what the future may hold for her and Jonathan.

The next few days went by quickly and soon she was standing at the front door, waving goodbye to her guardians with Evie next to her. As soon as they were out of sight, Evie closed the door and turned to the small fifteen-year-old in front of her.

"Okay, we have a whole weekend of fun ahead of us. What first?" She asked, heading into the kitchen.

"How about helping me find the perfect outfit for my date this afternoon?" Dizzy replied following her. Evie whipped around, looking shocked.

"Date?" She asked as if she hadn't heard her correctly.

Dizzy grinned and nodded, "I have a date with one of the cutest guys in the world!" She squealed.

Evie laughed, "Doug's taken, sweetie," she joked, causing Dizzy to playfully shove her. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Tell me everything."

They sat down at the kitchen table and Dizzy began talking, telling her all about Jonathan, who she'd had a crush on for months, and how they'd been friends for a while and how he asked her out the other day. Evie squealed in delight with Dizzy after she recounted the entire tale.

"Oh my goodness, Dizzy! Your first date!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go pick an outfit. Come on."

Evie took Dizzy's hand and ran her upstairs. Dizzy giggled and grinned as Evie burst into her room and went straight to her closet. "Okay, let's have a look. No. No. Cute but no. No. Hmmm, maybe. No. No. No." Evie sighed, "Do you have any clothes that aren't paint splattered?"

"Do you have any clothes that aren't blue or red?" Dizzy shot back.

Evie blinked before shrugging in defeat, "Okay, fair enough. Ooooh, yes! Oh, wait, no. Thought it was something different." She sighed again as she kept searching, "Yes! Perfect!" She pulled out a red apron dress, splattered with different colours and a pair of red flats. "I think we can make this work."

Dizzy clapped her hands in delights and took them from Evie. She went into the bathroom to go try them on, whilst Evie went downstairs to make a quick lunch as well as text a few people quickly.

Dizzy came out of the bathroom and headed downstairs, smiling as she stood in her dress, holding on to the hem, which came to just above her knees.

"Well?" She asked, coming into the kitchen where Evie had laid out some food.

Evie smiled and nodded her appreciation. "You look gorgeous. Now sit down and eat. We still have to do your makeup and your hair before he arrives."

"Don't do anything too elaborate. It's just a walk in the park, followed by a dinner at a small restaurant." Dizzy reminded.

"I know. But we still need to paint your nails, because yours are chipping, find the perfect accessories and make-up takes a while."

Dizzy sighed but nodded in agreement and ate her sandwich quickly. As soon as it was done, Evie grabbed the plate and put it in the sink before shooing Dizzy upstairs, claiming she'll wash it up later.

Dizzy was sat down in front of the mirror and Evie got to work, pulling out her makeup kit from her suitcase. She first tied Dizzy's hair into a knot behind her head, before putting on subtle make-up, trying to highlight Dizzy's best facial features, while at the same time not making it obvious. She then removed Dizzy's nail polish and replaced with fresh polish, red on her thumbs, blue on her index fingers, purple on her middle fingers, green on her ring fingers and yellow on her pinkies. While she waited for those to dry, Evie got to work on Dizzy's hair, brushing it thoroughly and straitening it. She then searched through Dizzy's creations, before finding the perfect piece and slipped into Dizzy's hair, clipping it back slightly. By this point, there was only half an hour left and Evie began searching through Dizzy's jewellery box, looking for the perfect accessories. She ended up selecting a simple charm bracelet, a few of Dizzy's more elaborate rings and a simple golden pearl necklace, which reached down to her midriff.

Evie stepped back and admired Dizzy, "You look gorgeous, Dizzy!" The nineteen-year-old exclaimed, hugging her little sister.

The doorbell rang downstairs and Dizzy gasped. "He's early!" She ran down the stairs, taking two at a time before standing in front of the door and straightening out her dress. She then took a deep breath and opened the door with a wide grin, which fell as soon as she saw who was actually there.

"Mal? Jay? Carlos? What are you doing here?" She asked, stepping back to let them in.

"Oh, Dizzy, you look so grown up!" Mal exclaimed, hugging her before entering. The boys just smiled at her when they did. Jay attempted to ruffle her hair but as he raised his hand, Evie, who had come downstairs right behind Dizzy, smacked it away.

"Hey, don't touch the masterpiece."

Jay put his hands up in defence and headed into the living room.

"As much as I love you guys, you didn't answer my question. Why are you all here?"

The Core Four grinned at each other. "You really think we'd let our little sister go on her first date without all of us being there to see her off?" Mal asked, sitting more comfortably on the sofa.

Dizzy laughed and shook her head. "I should have known." She sat down next to Carlos on the sofa and they all began interrogating her about her date.

"Well, his name's Jonathan and he's the son of Jiminy Cricket." She said, shyly, her normal bubbly demeanour disappearing in her nerves.

"Your date is a cricket?" Jay asked confused.

"No," Dizzy replied, "Jiminy Cricket fell in love with a human and asked Fairy Godmother to make him human so that he could have a chance. And it worked."

The Core Four all nodded in understanding and Carlos was about to ask another question about Jonathan when the doorbell rang. Evie got up and forced Dizzy to sit down whilst she got it.

She smiled at the boy who stood before her, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand, dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a clean button-up.

"Uh...you must be Evie. Dizzy has told me a lot about you." Jonathan said, extending his hand in greeting. Evie shook it before letting him in and gesturing him to the living room, where all the other VKs sat, Dizzy looking mortified. She mouthed 'sorry' as he looked around the room, slight fear in his eyes at the stern expressions on the faces of the others. He approached Dizzy and handed her the flowers.

"Umm, for you."

Dizzy grinned and took them, kissing his cheek. "You know you didn't have to do that." He shrugged and smiled at her as she headed into her room to put them in a vase.

"Whilst she's not here, let me get one thing straight." Jay said, standing up and crossing his arms, "Dizzy is practically our little sister and if you do anything to hurt her, we will hurt you."

Carlos stood up as well and stared the boy down, "If we hear anything about you mistreating her in any way, shape or form, and we will find out, then we will make your life a living hell. You'd better take good care of our sister."

Jonathan nodded and gulped, obviously nervous. Evie and Mal rolled their eyes before standing up and putting comforting hands on the boy's shoulders. "Sorry about them. But we trust you." Evie said sweetly.

"Although," Mal continued, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "If you betray that trust, we won't hold the boys back." Evie nodded in agreement and Mal let go of his shoulder with a grin. "You're a good guy from what I've heard. Treat her right."

Dizzy came back downstairs, "Sorry, had to fill the vase with water. Were they interrogating you?" She asked, sympathetically.

"No." Jonathan replied, shaking his head, "Just reminding me that they care about you in many ways."

Dizzy looked at him for a few seconds before turning to the others. "Do you guys mind not threatening my date? That'd be great." She then took his arm and together they walked out of the house. The Core Four grinned, watching them leave, Carlos holding out his phone, having taken a few pictures of the new couple.

"You think she'll be okay?" Evie asked.

"I think Jonathan go the message," Mal replied, before closing the door.

Carlos smirked and sent the group chat the photos he subtly took. Dizzy receiving the flowers. Dizzy taking Jonathan's arm and a zoomed in the pure look on the giddiness of both teenagers faces. The Core Four smiled at each other before settling down and watching TV, staying together until Dizzy got home, to make sure she had had a good time. After all, they protect their own, so they were happy as long as she was happy.

 **Owllover34, hope this lived up to your expectations. It was kinda fun to write.**

 **Request Counter: 35**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Randomn: I am so happy you loved it! And that's good. Thanks for looking! You're awesome!**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: Aww, I'm so happy you loved it that much! And here (*hugs*) best I can do.**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm so happy you enjoyed it that much! It was definitely emotional to write but I am glad it wasn't only me feeling emotional.**

 **EroSlackerMicha: Thanks!**

 **Grace: Awww, your welcome love! And thank you. Your kind words mean a lot to me.**

 **xez2003: Thank you! And don't worry, it isn't that bad anymore. Hopefully. It's touch and go, depending on the prompt. But for this one, it wasn't bad. I was just too busy to get round to writing.**

 **Owllover34: Sorry not sorry! Lol. And yep, yours are next for a while. And thanks for looking for me. You rock!**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I didn't really see it coming either but hey, a prompts a prompt. Anyway, I don't really read Descendants fanfiction anymore. I just write it, so I wouldn't be able to say.**

 **DragonEmperor999: I'm happy you thought so.**

 **CocoJones: Hey, no problem. I'm just happy you liked it! It was one of my personal favourites.**

 **Guest.I: (chapter 71) Awww, thank you! (chapter 72) He is, isn't he? And yes, his character is really easy. I love writing about him because of that, lol.**

 **Kate cheese: (chapter 71) Your welcome! And yes, they really are meant to be! (chapter 73) Don't be sorry. They are life!**

 **Eli201: (chapter 71) My heart is too! This chapter made my own heart flutter. And I was writing it XD (chapter 73) Yes, they do. They're awesome like that.**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	78. Rules About Our Girls (Jay and Carlos)

The school blogs were full to the brim with different documents. However, Jane never expected to stumble across one written by Jay and Carlos. When she saw the title and opened the document, she sighed and texted a few people to come join her. Once the other three girls had gathered round, they began to read the document together.

 _ **Rules about our girls**_

 _Written by Carlos de Vil and Jay Jafar_

All the girls raised their eyebrows and Mal groaned a little, knowing that this was going to be ridiculous.

 _Girls in question: Jane Fairy, Lonnie Li, Mal Faery, Evie Grimhilde_

Evie sighed and exchanged a look with Mal. Yep, they had gone into overprotective mode.

 _Rules about all 4:_

 _1\. Always treat our girls with respect_

"At least they start with something that should apply to all girls anyway." Jane said, before carrying on reading.

 _2\. Never flirt with them, they're all taken and uninterested. (Ben and Doug, this rule does not apply to you with Mal and Evie, respectively)_

Lonnie chuckled, "I bet you anything that that was Jay."

 _3\. Do not touch them in any way, shape or form without their permission._

"At least they're focusing on decent points, you know, about respect and stuff." Evie decided.

 _4\. Do not talk to them in any manner except for friendly chit-chat (Ben and Doug, again, this rule does not apply to you with Mal and Evie, respectively, but you'd better still talk to them respectfully)._

"Carlos?" Lonnie asked. The other girls nodded in conformation. "Definitely Carlos."

 _5\. Do not do anything that would hurt them in any manner (emotionally, physically, verbally etc)_

 _6\. Do not make inappropriate suggestions towards them, verbally or otherwise._

 _7\. Never say that they are weak. These are some of the strongest girls we know._

All the girls couldn't help but say "Awww." at that.

 _Rules about the AK girls (Lonnie and Jane):_

Lonnie and Jane groaned, seeing as they were getting specific now. Mal and Evie apologised for their brothers before they kept reading.

 _1\. Do not try to tell them that they made a mistake by dating VKs. They're both smart enough to make their own decisions, so if they decided they want to be with us, then that's they're decision._

"Somehow, despite the fact that they're making rules about us, they still manage to be incredibly respectful?" Lonnie asked, surprised, "I'd have thought they'd be acting possessive."

"I know, right? But they still have time to act possessive. This document goes on for quite a while." Jane replied.

 _2\. Being AKs does not mean they are not tough. So do not suggest otherwise._

 _Rules about VK girls (Mal and Evie):_

It was Mal and Evie's turn to groan. "Oh my word." Evie sighed.

 _1\. VKS ARE NOT VILLAINS!_

Mal actually snorted when she saw that one. "Well, at least they're getting their point across.

Rule 1 continued on to say: _These girls are sweet, kind-hearted and all-round good people. Do not suggest otherwise._

 _2\. Do not try to pry anything about the Isle or their life on it out of them._

 _Rules about Mal Faerie:_

Mal groaned loudly, "Oh no, they're really getting specific now." Evie patted her shoulder sympathetically.

 _1\. Mal is taken, so back off. She's dating the King of Auradon. Trying to get with her would end badly for you._

 _2\. Do not mention the word 'dragon' around her if you are using it in order to spite her._

 _3\. Do not call her 'Maleficent' or anything other than 'Mal' or, preferably, 'Lady Mal'_

 _4\. Do not accuse her of being weak without her magic. She's stronger than anyone we know._

Mal grinned a little, "Well, you have to admit, they are being super sweet."

 _5\. She's a lady of the court. Treat her as such._

 _Rules about Evie Grimhilde:_

Evie sighed. "My turn."

 _1\. Do not tell her she's only pretty because she wears make-up, because it's not true._

Jane looked surprised at that rule. "Why would they feel the need to add that in?"

"Just something someone said last week." Evie mumbled, "Carlos nearly hit the girl."

 _2\. Do not tell her that she isn't a princess because her mother has no real status here. Status or no status, she's always been a princess._

Evie grinned. "You're right. They are complete sweet-hearts." she said to Mal

 _3\. Do not let her looks deceive you. Pretty does not mean weak._

 _4\. Do not accuse her of being a bimbo. Pretty doesn't mean dumb either._

 _5\. Don't think that she'll dump her boyfriend for a prince. Not going to happen._

Evie smiled brightly, "Our brothers are the sweetest."

 _Rule about Lonnie Li:_

Lonnie laughed, "This will be all Jay."

 _1\. One on one sword fighting training are a no, unless I (Jay) am there too._

 _2\. Do not try to suggest that by being a girl that she is incapable of running a sports team._

 _3\. Do not bring up the 'no girls' rule in R.O.A.R, it's getting boring_

 _4\. Keep a good distance away from her unless she approaches you or you are already close friends._

 _5\. Do not tell her she is bringing dishonour on her family because she's doing something you don't like. It just makes you look stupid._

 _6\. Don't tell her she only acts tough because she's pretending to be her mother_

 _7\. Do not stare at her. She's not a piece of meat._

Lonnie sighed once she was done reading them. "Overprotective much?"

 _Rules about Jane Fairy:_

 _1\. She is not plain. If you think she is, go get your eyes checked._

Jane giggled.

 _2\. Keep your hands where we can see them but keep them to yourself_

 _3\. Do not try to take advantage of her kindness._

"I guess I was covered in the more broad ones?" Jane suggested when all the girls complained that she only got three rules, whereas the others were overprotected with five-seven rules.

"Oh look there is a little note at the bottom."

 _Break any of these rules and we will hunt you down and, trust us, it will not be pretty._

The girls looked at the rules for a few more seconds before all bursting out into laughter. This was one of the most ridiculous things they had ever seen, but whilst being annoying because of their sever over-protectiveness, it was kinda sweet that the two boys cared about them that much.

Jane pulled out her phone and texted Carlos to come over to her and to bring Jay. When they arrived, Jane turned her laptop so that they could see what the four girls were looking at.

"Sorry not sorry." Carlos replied, after he got over his shock of realising they found it, "Other guys, and girls," he added, "need to learn to back off of you guys."

The girls just chuckled and the six of them had a group hug, before they left, Mal making sure to whack both boys around the head to show her annoyance whereas as Evie just patted their shoulders, with a slightly amused look. Jane and Carlos then went out, hand-in-hand and Lonnie and Jay followed on only seconds later, although, rather than hand-in-hand, he had his arm around Lonnie's shoulder.

Admittedly, the rules kind of worked. People who saw them knew not to mess with Jay and Carlos so they made sure to treat all four girls with the utmost respect. No regrets on the boys part. None at all.

 **Owllover34, I'm sorry, that could have been written a whole lot better. But I had no idea what else to say. Here you go!**

 **Request Counter: 34**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes she is.**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so happy you enjoyed it! I love the sibling relationship between those five as well**

 **Owllover34: Did the best I could do with this one and I am very happy you enjoyed the last one.**

 **EroSlackerMicha: She is. And thanks**

 **Grace: Yeah, yeah, thank you for making Jonathan. And more than 75% probably. I'm very picky. And no I am not perfection. Don't try to persuade me otherwise, it won't work.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: No, Dizzy's dating the** ** _son_** **of a cricket-turned-human. And I just am not very into reading Descendants oneshots at the moment. It comes and goes. Just haven't been into it lately.**

 **xez2003: Thanks!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	79. Thunder (Jonnie and Kamryn)

The afternoon came in with clouds overhanging the sky, letting the people of Auradon know that rain was to be expected that night. Inside a small cottage, not far from the castle-turned-school, a woman of about thirty was doing the dishes, her long, silky brown hair pulled back into a pony-tail and her hands encased in yellow rubber gloves. She looked over towards the kitchen table, where a little four-year-old girl was colouring in a colouring book. Her little dark brown pigtails bobbed up and down as she reached over the table to grab another crayon. Lonnie smiled softly at her little girl before turning back to the dishes and scrubbing hard at a pan that was stubbornly refusing to get clean.

Suddenly, she heard a car pulling up in the drive and looked up to see her husband's car pulling up just outside the house. She smiled a little and glanced over at Kamryn, who had heard the car and now had a wide grin on her face as she looked over at the door expectantly. Jay walked in just seconds later, putting his satchel down as Kamryn jumped down from her chair and ran over to her dad.

"Daddy!" She cried out, flinging herself into Jay's arms. Jay caught her and put her on his hip.

"Hey, Comet." He said, picking her up and placing a big wet kiss on the side of her head.

Kamryn pulled a face and wiped where her father had kissed. "Eww, no kisses." She complained, making Jay and Lonnie chuckle. Jay put Kamryn down and let her return to colouring back, before going over to Lonnie and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Lonnie turned and pecked him on the lips briefly. "Hey babe."

"Hey," Jay replied, giving her his classic lopsided grin. "How was our little girl this morning?"

Lonnie smiled, "An angel, as per usual." she replied, putting the pan down on the dish rack to dry and peeling off her gloves. "How did the interview go?"

Jay nodded, "Pretty good. They should be getting back to me soon." As he now approached the age of thirty, Jay had retired from professional tourney and had decided that it was time for him to get a more stable job. Ever since he had arrived in Auradon, it had been his dream to be able to coach the Fighting Knights tourney team. His coach had taught him a lot and had become someone who knew he could trust. Jay wanted to do the same for others and coaching tourney meant he could keep being around the sport he loved.

Lonnie smiled and nodded, "I'm sure you'll get it. You were an amazing captain, so coach shouldn't be as big a step up."

Jay nodded in agreement and looked over at his little girl where she was still colouring away, her tongue sticking out in concentration. He smiled to himself before sitting down next to her. "Mind if I join you?"

Kamryn looked up at her daddy and grinned, nodding, before pulling out a picture from her colouring book and giving it to him to colour. Lonnie couldn't help but smile at her family as she put the dishes away. Kamryn had always been a big daddy's girl and Lonnie had never seen Jay as happy as the day she was born. Having had terrible experiences with his own father, Jay was incredibly nervous at first to be a father, fearing he'd make the same mistakes as his own dad. But when he first laid eyes on Kamryn, he was a goner. He loved her instantly and he knew he'd do anything to protect her and keep her safe and happy. He did spoil her a little bit, but Lonnie always made sure he didn't spoil her too much; she didn't want Kamryn turning into a brat.

Jay carefully coloured in his picture, watching Kamryn out of the corner of his eye, smiling as he thought about how much this little girl had changed his life in the past four years. He never thought he would be a father. Even after he and Lonnie got married, he always thought that it would just be the two of them, as he couldn't fathom having a kid of his own. He was terrified when he found out Lonnie was pregnant but it all turned around when Kamryn was born. And now, he couldn't imagine what his life would be like if they hadn't had Kamryn.

Kamryn put her crayon down and looked up at Jay, grinning. "Look what I did Daddy!" She exclaimed, holding up her picture. It was a picture of two swords and a shield and she'd coloured the swords in gold, the handles in blue and the shield in red with a gold outline. She hadn't managed to stay inside the lines the whole time, but it was overall a very lovely picture.

"Wow, Comet. That's awesome." He commented, smiling at his little one. Kamryn gave him another toothy grin and ran to give it to Lonnie, who was standing nearby with a cup of green tea in her hands. Lonnie put the mug down and took the picture from Kamryn.

"Well done, Kam. This is beautiful. I'll go hang it on the fridge." She said, walking over to their fridge, where she hung it up with a K-shaped fridge magnet.

"Daddy, come play with me!" Kamryn said, grabbing her dad's hand and beginning to walk to the back door.

Jay stopped her. "Help me clean up the colouring first, and then we'll go out."

"And don't forget to put on a jacket. It looks like rain." Lonnie added, picking up her tea again. Kamryn began cleaning up the colouring in record time, putting her crayons in their box and racing the book and the crayons to her room. As she headed up the stairs, Jay walked over to Lonnie and leaned on the counter.

They stood in comfortable silence waiting for Kamryn to come back downstairs. They heard the sound of footsteps running down the stairs, and Jay's eyes widened slightly. He pushed himself upright and went to the stairs, to make sure she didn't go tumbling down. She made it to the bottom step without falling and grabbed Jay's hand, pulling him out, running as she did so.

"Kamryn, what have I said about running down through the house?" Jay said, slowing his active daughter down and crouching down to her level. "You could fall and hurt yourself."

Kamryn looked down in shame. "Sorry, daddy."

Jay put a hand gently on her head and stroked her head, "It's okay, Comet. I just don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

Kamryn nodded so Jay stood up and, let her lead him outside, where they played chase and threw around a tourney ball. Lonnie watched them silently, a smile on her face as she did so. She shook her head and began pulling out things she needed to cook dinner when she suddenly heard a thump and a small cry of pain. Lonnie's head shot up to see Jay picking Kamryn up from where she'd tripped and fallen and setting her on her feet.

"You're okay," He was saying, "Nothing is bleeding." Jay wanted to protect her and keep her from harm, but he didn't believe in making a big deal out of every fall. As long as nothing was broken or bleeding, he made sure she was up on her feet and running around in no time. "Where does it hurt?"

Kamryn pointed at her knee, her face scrunched up in pain. Jay carefully checked it and saw that it was a little scraped. He bent down and kissed it gently. "There. Kissed it better. Is it better now?"

Lonnie smiled gently, remembering how confused he'd been when Lonnie had first done that to Kamryn. Lonnie had explained that by kissing an 'owie', children normally felt as though most of the pain was gone because for some reason, feeling loved overpowered the pain. Jay had smiled at that and since then, he made sure that he kissed Kamryn better before getting her to get up and keep going.

The two of them ran around the garden for a bit more, until Lonnie called them in for dinner, reminding them to wash their hands first.

After a delicious dinner, the three of them went into the living room for a family game before it was time for Kamryn to go to bed. Lonnie helped her get ready for bed whilst Jay started washing up and cleaning up after them. Once Kamryn was in bed, Lonnie called Jay up and they sat together, reading her a story as they always did before kissing her head goodnight, watching her drift off to sleep.

After watching a bit of TV together, they both decided that it was probably time to go to bed, both of them exhausted after a long day.

Just as they settled down into bed, they heard the pitter-patter of rain on their window. Lonnie smiled, loving the sound of rain.

"It's supposed to storm tonight," Jay commented, turning off his lamp. Lonnie hummed as she lay down, Jay laying down next to her.

"Night." She murmured turning on her preferred side.

"Goodnight, babe." He responded, laying on his back.

Later on that night, Jay was twitching and mumbling. A thunderclap sounded and Jay shot up, panting heavily, trying to work out where he was and what was happening.

"Jay?" he heard a voice mumble from next to him. It was Lonnie's voice. He was in his bed with Lonnie, his wife, laying next to him. His daughter was fast asleep in the other room. His dad was locked up on the Isle. He was safe. He was okay.

Lonnie sat up slowly and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering softly when he flinched, "Hey, hey. It's okay. You're safe."

Jay was still breathing heavily as he nodded slowly. Lonnie knew that it meant he was going to have one of his bad nights. He wasn't going to get any more sleep that night.

Another thunderclap boomed as rain poured furiously onto the windows. Suddenly their door flew open and a pair of little feet came running in, clutching her stuffed bear.

"Daddy, mummy, I'm scared!" Kamryn exclaimed running over to their bed. Lonnie, who's side of the bed was closer to the door, held out her arms to her and pulled her onto the bed.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Kammie." She told her gently, pulling her closer. Thunder cracked again and Kamryn shrieked, burrowing herself in her mother's shoulder.

Jay took a few deep breaths before taking Kamryn from Lonnie, holding her close and rocking her back and forth. "It's okay, Comet. I've got you."

Lonnie gave Jay a sad smile, knowing that despite having one of his bad nights, Jay would always put Kamryn first. He rocked his daughter gently, cupping the back of her head as he did so.

"It won't hurt you, Comet, I promise. It's just loud noises," He reassured her.

Kamryn hugged her daddy close. "But it's scary." She whimpered.

Jay nodded, "I know, but it's okay. It's harmless. It can't hurt you."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Kamryn asked, a few tears leaking out of her eyes from fear.

Lonnie nodded and pulled the blankets so that Kamryn had space to squirm in. Kamryn got off her dad and scrambled under the covers, curling up between her parents. Lonnie looked at Jay in silent question and Jay shook his head, to show he was going to be okay. Lonnie lay down and placed a hand on the back of Kamryn's head, holding her close as the two of them drifted off to sleep.

Jay watched them for a long while, taking in the sight of his two favourite girls at complete peace before looking over at the curtain covered window, sighing slightly. His nightmare had been intense and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. But that was okay. This way, he could watch over his little girl and protect her from her fears. He had been through so much, causing him to have nightmares throughout most of his life, but he thanked goodness that the only thing Kamryn was afraid of was a little thunder. She didn't deserve to have to live with the fear that he did every day, and he was going to protect her from that, no matter what. Thunder sounded again, but Kamryn didn't even stir. She wrapped safely in the warmth of her mother's arms and the feeling of her father's arm around the two of them, keeping them from harm.

 **Okay, Owllover34, I loved writing this one. I know you techinically only wanted the last bit but protective daddy Jay gives me life. I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it.**

 **Also, special thanks to Grace for helping me come up with a nickname for Kamryn from Jay.**

 **Request Counter: 33**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I'm so happy you loved it so much! I laughed a lot when writing it. Overprotective boys always makes me laugh**

 **Grace: Thanks for pointing that out. I'll make sure I get round to fixing it. Anyway, whilst I agree with you on the point about Jesus, I am nowhere near perfect. Don't put me on a pedestal where I don't belong.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Who knows? They're weirdos who are crazy protective of those they love.**

 **ChordOverstreetFan: Cool, I guess? I write a lot of Bal and I don't ever write about them being together with other characters, as I would really struggle with that, so I wouldn't worry. Bal is always there when one of them is in the story, even if it's just in the background and you don't actually see it.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I'm glad you think so. Yes, it's the same for longer stories. I can't bring myself to get into them. There are many talented writers out there in the Descendants fandom and occasionally I do read them, but I'm more into reading other fanfictions at the moment. I'm sure that I'll obsessed with Descendants fanfiction soon, especially after D3. But at the moment, I read other things.**

 **EroSlackerMicha: They probably do, lol. I wouldn't be surprised.**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: (chapter 77) The stuff she owns that aren't red or blue have red or blue somewhere on them. So she's mostly red or blue, lol. (chapter 78) I thought so too. Glad Jay was there to correct us XD But seriously speaking, the way some men stare at women makes you think that they only see them as meat.**

 **Owllover34: Yay, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	80. Breaking Point (Jonnie)

It was the perfect day for an R.O.A.R match. It wasn't so hot that people would be sweating just from sitting in the amphitheatre and it wasn't so cold that people would be huddled together trying to keep slightly warm. The temperature was perfect and the weather was lovely. The sun was shining but there was also a slight breeze, cooling the air so that the sun didn't beat down too harshly onto the backs of the citizens of Auradon.

Pretty much every student in the school was decked out in various shades of blue and yellow, ranging from arctic and lemon to navy and mustard. The R.O.A.R team were wearing their standard royal blue and canary yellow uniform. They sat around their usual lunch table as their team captain explained the plan quietly, making sure that everyone understood.

"Remember, if we play this right, the last man goes to me unless I'm in desperate need of backup." she was explaining. Some people may see this plan as selfish, but it wasn't as selfish as they would think. In actual fact, she thought somebody else should try to take on the last man standing of the other team, but they all told her that she was their strongest fighter and was the most likely to still be in when the time comes.

Lonnie, being ever humble, tried to deny it at first but when the whole team gave her really looks, she just shrugged and agreed to that plan.

They'd gone over various outcomes and planned as much as they could, seeing as you can never know what the other team have up their sleeves. Lonnie had fine-tuned as much of the plan as she could before the game. The match was in three hours time, so they all had plenty of time to mentally prepare themselves, as Lonnie always told them that they needed their minds to be sharper than their swords. The warrior princess made sure all the boys had eaten a healthy amount of lunch, not letting anybody skip meals due to nerves because they were facing some of their biggest rivals. She was very good at making sure her team was healthy and focused and ready. Nothing was going to stop her from doing her best in the team. She was their captain. They looked up to her. So she was going to show them how a real leader should act, her team being her top priority.

As they dispersed, she noticed her best friend, Cheng, sitting with alone at one of the tables, surrounded by books. She smiled and headed over to him, sitting down next to him.

"All this time, and still a nerd." She joked.

Cheng chuckled and looked up from the studying, "I have an exam soon and you know what my parents are like."

Lonnie nodded, knowing exactly how strict Cheng's parents could be. "Still, you planning on going to the dance tonight? Or are you going to be mummy's golden boy and study all night?" She joked.

"Do you even know me, babes? Like I'd miss a party."

Lonnie grinned before standing up and picking up the tray she had brought with her. "Well, catch you later. Class starts soon and by the looks of it, one of my team is about to have a mental break down."

Lonnie put her tray on the dish return before heading over to the team-mate who was clearly struggling. She sat him down and gave him a few words of encouragement, which seemed to make him feel better, before bumping his fist and heading off to class.

"Hey, Lon." A voice said behind her as she was taking her school books out of her locker, which was pretty much right next to the cafeteria doors. She closed the metal blue door gently, arms wrapped securely around her books before turning to the voice.

"Hey Jay," she replied, grinning.

Jay was grinning his lopsided, lazy grin at her, "You ready for this afternoon?" he questioned, although he already knew the answer.

"Babe, is that even a question?" She responded, giving him a half _seriously_ half joking look.

Jay smirked, "Just have to make sure. You spend a lot of time making sure everyone else is prepared, I just want to make sure my girl is on her top game."

"I always am," Lonnie replied.

Her boyfriend went to respond but they were interrupted by the warning bell. Lonnie quickly pecked Jay's cheek before heading off to class, the blue hood of her R.O.A.R jacket flopping behind her.

The hours ticked by quickly, as Lonnie managed to concentrate in class, focusing on the work in front of her and refusing to let her mind wander. The final bell rang for the day and Lonnie was up and out like a flash. She sped down to the locker rooms, dumped her gym bag which had her day-to-day clothes in it (The team had changed at lunchtime as the match was right after school) as well as her mask and her sword. The cheerleaders were in the changing rooms as well, pumping themselves up for the pre-game cheer. When they all filed out, Lonnie knew that this was her cue to head to the guys' locker room for the pre-game pep talk. She knocked on the locker room door three times and the whole team walked out and stood in front of her.

"Do we still remember the plans?" She asked, over the sound of "Let's go, Fighting Knights, let's go!" and it's rival "Go, go, go Olympus! Go, go, go!"

The boys all nodded, having had the plan drilled into them at lunchtime. Lonnie nodded and put her hand in the middle, the boys following straight after, Jay's coincidentally (or not. You never know with that boy) covering hers.

"Fighting Knights on three." Lonnie said, "Three!" She exclaimed, skipping one and two, much to everyone's amusement.

"FIGHTING KNIGHTS!" The team ran into the amphitheatre, smiling giddily as they took their spots. In front of them, they saw the Olympians stood in a circle, hands in the middle.

"DEMI-GODS!" The other team yelled as they broke, heading to their own spots. Lonnie approached the captain and smiled sweetly at him while squeezing his hand tightly in her own. She let go and headed back to her place, the other captain doing the same.

On the ref's cue, swords were raised, masks were pushed down and the fighting began. It was going brilliantly, and almost according to plan. Back and forth the two teams fenced and flipped and dodged and struck, each and every one of the players putting their all into this game. Soon the players were dropping like flies, getting forced out, one by one, both teams losing fencers by the second.

Lonnie watched as her team were forced out, taking a few of the opponents with them. She slashed and stab, blocked and deflected. Not long after, it was just her and Jay and the final member of the other team. Lonnie had just pushed out another team member and whipped around to face the member, only to crash to the floor as Jay collided with her, causing them both to be out.

The amphitheatre erupted into cheers and groans, the former being from the Olympians and the latter from Auradon Prep. Lonnie remained seated on the ground, panting and shocked by the defeat as well as the impact that was Jay slamming into her and coming into contact with the floor. She pulled her mask off as the Olympians gathered around and cheered for their team-mate. Jay stood up slowly and pulled off his own mask, before turning to offer Lonnie a hand. Lonnie gave him a look of disbelief and annoyance before pushing herself up, knocking Jay's hand out the way. Jay looked confused and hurt while Lonnie went to go shake the captain of the opposing team's hand.

"Good game." She murmured before heading back to her team. She stood before them and smiled at them. "Guys, it's okay. It was one game and the Demi-gods have always been a strong team. This was just a setback. And I think we needed this setback." The team looked at her in shock, as she continued, "It reminds us that we are human, that we make mistakes and that we can learn from them. We'll kick their butts next time. But for now, head into the shower and get yourself some dinner before the dance tonight. I'm sure most of you have some ladies who are going to want to comfort you." The team chuckled and began to head to the locker rooms, shaking hands with the other team as they passed them.

Jay smiled at her, a little proudly and went over to nudge her gently. However, when he approached, she just rolled her eyes and headed into the girls' locker rooms, where the cheerleaders began to comfort her.

On their way to dinner, Jay ran up to Lonnie and grabbed her arm forcefully, but not enough to hurt her. "Lon, are you okay?"

Lonnie yanked her arm out of Jay's grip. "Why couldn't you just stick to the plan?" she hissed, clearly angry.

"Seriously?" Jay demanded as they walked past the lockers, the metal door gleaming in the afternoon sun, "After that little speech back there, you're mad at me for that? What happened to this setback being a good thing?"

"This isn't about us losing." Lonnie shot back, "This is about the fact that we laid out a plan and you always have to go off and do something else, always have to show off."

"I didn't think you were going to be able to turn around in time!" Jay exclaimed, "I was just trying to help!"

"By knocking me to the ground causing both of us to be out? Yeah, big help Jay." Lonnie snapped as she pushed open the door to the crowded cafeteria and went to the line, grabbing a tray.

Jay grabbed his own and slammed the blue piece of plastic next to her. "What is going on with you?" He demanded, "I made a mistake."

"You didn't follow basic instructions. Thank you." The last bit was aimed at the dinner man, who was giving out today's meal, Indian curry with naan bread. Lonnie took her lunch and spotted Cheng, waving at him as she headed over to him.

"Really? You gonna go cry on Cheng's shoulder now?" Jay asked, in a spiteful tone. Lonnie let out a scoff and ignored him. "Of course you are. Always running to him, ignoring me."

"You mean like you did?" Lonnie retaliated, turning around, "For weeks on end, just because you won MVP?"

Jay looked taken aback, "I thought we'd moved past that." he replied.

"Like we'd moved past your irrational jealousy of Cheng?" Without waiting for a response, Lonnie turned on her heel and went over to her best friend, her head held high.

Cheng raised an eyebrow at Lonnie as she slammed her tray down on the table before sitting down with a huff. "Trouble in paradise?" he questioned, seeing her seething look.

Lonnie rolled her eyes and ignored him, digging into her food, eating almost aggressively.

"Okay, babes, slow down, you're going to choke," Cheng said, pushing her hand down as she was about to shove more food into her mouth.

"Cheng, what did I say about calling me 'babes'?" Lonnie sighed. She'd explained to him not long after he arrived in Auradon that calling her 'babes' was probably a bad idea, as it would lead to rumours and upset and just cause unnecessary drama.

"Sorry, force of habit." replied Cheng, "Why are you so upset though? It was one loss after countless wins."

"It wasn't the fact that we lost," Lonnie replied, pushing a piece of chicken around with her fork. "It was how we lost. Jay knew the plan, but he always has to be a hero. If he had just stuck to the plan, we may have won this."

Cheng nodded as a sign that he understood what she was saying, "Maybe, but maybe he didn't think the plan would work at the end. Maybe he thought you didn't have time to turn around."

Lonnie stabbed the piece of chicken with a sigh of frustration, "So he thinks I'm incapable. Great."

"That's not what I was saying." Cheng responded, "And you know it."

"Do I?" She muttered, twirling her fork between her thumb and forefinger.

"Lonnie, come on. Be reasonable."

Lonnie's head shot up, "Be reasonable? Tell that to him and his uncontainable jealousy."

Cheng gave her a look, "Okay, you know what, no more talk about Jay. Now eat your food and go get ready for the dance. You've been looking forward to it for ages."

Lonnie gave a resigned sigh before nodding and tucking into her meal.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Jay was also clearly frustrated. Carlos eventually got tired of his best friend brooding and turned to him.

"Okay, what is wrong now? Because you brooding is not helping our mood."

Jay huffed. "She brought up the incident, man," he said finally, looking at Carlos.

Carlos narrowed his eyes slightly, "Umm, which incident? The incident with me, the one where you let her see the worst version of you, the one where she slapped you (although I guess she wouldn't bring that one up as she was the one who made the mistake that time) or the time where you ignored her?"

Jay shot Carlos an annoyed look before looking over at Cheng and Lonnie again. Carlos followed his gaze.

"Ah. Of course. The MVP incident."

Jay growled a little and pushed away his food. "Lost my appetite. See you at the dance." And with that, he got up and left, making sure to shoot a dirty look at the two Chinese best friends, who were eating their food quietly.

Lonnie spotted his glare and matched with her own, her blood boiling slightly. Once she'd finished, she stood up and put her tray on the dish return before heading back to Cheng.

"See you at the dance. Save me a dance?" she asked, putting on a smile.

Cheng nodded. "Of course. See you later."

Lonnie attempted a smile and headed back to her bedroom. Once in her bedroom, she opened her wardrobe and pulled out the dress she was planning on wearing, slipping it out of its bag. It was a beautiful yet simple, blood red cheongsam with intricate golden details. For once, she hadn't gotten it from Evie's 4 Hearts but rather from her mother. Her mother had been going through some old clothes and had sent some to Lonnie. Lonnie instantly fell in love with the cheongsam and had decided to wear it for her next dance, which happened to be today's dance. She'd asked Evie for a dress bag so that she could keep it safe until now.

Lonnie slipped out of her day-to-day clothes and pulled on the cheongsam, smoothing out any creases that came as she pulled it on. She then sat down gently in her chair facing her vanity and began putting on her make-up and doing her hair back in a knotted bun behind her head and adding in small golden pearl pins.

Once she had done that, she looked up at the time and realised it was time to go, so she slipped on her gold strappy sandals, grabbed her red clutch, which contained her phone and headed out to the dance, where it was already in full swing.

Lonnie headed over to some of her friends, her smile genuine for the first time since the match, grinning in delight and excitement as she squealed about how beautiful her friends looked.

"Evie, you outdid yourself again!" The warrior princess commented as she looked around at all the designs that were obviously from Evie.

Evie grinned, "What can I say? Actually, would you be okay if I took a look at your dress after the dance? I would love to use some ideas from it in my designs if that's okay?"

Lonnie smiled and nodded, "As long as I get it back in one piece."

The blue-haired princess promised it would and then began chatting with some other girls. Lonnie joined in for a bit until she felt a finger tap her on the shoulder.

She turned around and smiled at Cheng, "Well, hello there."

Cheng smiled, "Hey. I believe I owe you a dance and I want to get it out the way as soon as possible so I can actually enjoy my night." He said, offering her his hand.

Lonnie swatted his shoulder lightly before taking his hand and heading out to the dance floor, dancing with him to an upbeat song, twisting and turning and clapping, almost in unison with him.

After the dance, sweaty-face and laughing, Lonnie headed over to the refreshments table to get herself a cool drink. As she poured herself a drink she heard a girly giggle and turned her head slightly to see Jay leaning on his arm on the other side of the table, his easy grin on his face as he talked to the girl in front of him. His jacket was crimson red with a patch of navy blue on his back, where his father's symbol was stitched.

Lonnie's blood boiled when she heard what Jay was talking to the girl about: "So, gorgeous, how about a dance?"

The girl giggled again, "Are you sure your girlfriend won't mind?"

"Who cares?" Jay responded, grinning. Lonnie nearly lost her cool but managed to maintain enough posture to march over to them and grab Jay's shoulder.

"Your girlfriend does." She spat, dragging him away and outside.

"What the hell, Lonnie?" Jay snapped, once they were alone outside.

"Me what the hell?" Lonnie demanded, "You were the one just flirting with another girl!"

"So what? Like you don't flirt with Cheng all the time?"

Lonnie sighed and threw her hands up in exasperation, "It's playful banter, Jay! He's my best friend. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Why can't you just accept the fact that we lost and get over it instead of taking it out on me?" Jay shot back.

"We wouldn't have lost if you'd just stuck to the plan in the first place!" They were shouting now, hand gestures getting more and more wild. "You knew full well that I would've been able to turn in time but you just had to play the hero! You just had to be the one who leads us to victory!"

"Just like you have to every game?" He demanded.

"No, not like me, because I stick to the plan and if the plan involves you or someone else taking out the last guy, I stick to it to the best of my ability!"

"So did I! He was open and I went for it! It's not my fault that you got in the way!"

"I got in the way?" Her tone was slightly threatening, "Of course you think that. I'm always in the way, aren't I? In the way of your victory for the game and in the way of your flirtatious tendencies." She scoffed, "You know what, I'm out of here. Enjoy the dance." She spat, before storming off into the building.

"Just walk away then! Can't even finish a fight!" Jay retaliated, watching her leave. She turned around and gave him a rude hand gesture before running off to the dorms.

Jay stood there watching her run into the dorm building before turning around kicking a rubbish bin, although not hard enough to knock it over. He sighed and then went back to his own dorm, his good mood ruined.

Lonnie wiped off her make-up as soon as she got back to her room, tears running down her cheeks. She didn't even know why she was crying, whether it was pain or anger that was causing them to fall. She didn't know why she was so angry at him for this. Just felt like everything was coming back from previous fights. Once the make-up was off, she began pulling the pins out of her hair and placed them in a small box off to the side. She then undid her bun and let her hair flow down her back. She wiped the tears off of her face with the palm of her hand and sighed shakily before standing up and changing into her pyjamas, hanging the cheongsam carefully in her wardrobe.

Once the dress was hanging back up in the wardrobe, Lonnie curled up in bed and drifted off to sleep.

Jay was feeling angry and almost tore off his jacket as he walked into his dorm, chucking it across the room. He didn't see where it landed, nor did he care. He put his face in his hands and sat on his bed. He let out a frustrated growl and punched the wall, grunting in pain as he pulled it back to see he had bruised his knuckles. He sighed and got ready for bed, blood boiling as he fell asleep.

The next morning didn't go so well for the room-mates of either half of the fighting couple. Carlos got death glares and angry silence and a few things chucked across the room whereas Lonnie's room-mate, Olivia, got snapped at and a lot of angry tears. Both of them were fed up before they'd even got to breakfast.

Seeing Olivia's slightly annoyed face, Carlos headed over to her at breakfast. "Is she driving you nuts because Jay is driving me up the wall."

Olivia nodded, "Trying to talk to her reasonably did not work. Maybe Jane can talk to her?"

"Yeah. I'm going to have to get Mal on Jay." The two of them sighed, "Let's hope we don't have to resort to plan B."

Seeing as Lonnie and Jay are both hot-headed and stubborn if they fight, there is a chance it will get out of hand, so in order to help them make up, the two room-mates came up with a few plans. Plan A was to sit them down and talk to them reasonably. This normally worked so they never had to resort to Plan B. Hopefully they wouldn't have to this time.

Olivia nodded in agreement before bidding Carlos goodbye and heading over to her friends for breakfast.

Carlos talked to Mal, who got up immediately and ran off to find Jay, whilst Olivia managed to track down Jane.

Mal found Jay in the gym, as she suspected, as he seemed to let a lot of anger out by punching the bags.

"Jay, stop." Jay looked over and saw Mal. He knew what was about to come and shook his head.

"You talk. I can listen and punch." He said, emphasising his point with another right hook.

Mal rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Okay, fine. Your fight with Lonnie is getting ridiculous and I think the two of you need to sit down and talk reasonably."

"Look, Mal," Jay sighed, turning to look at her, "She's the one overreacting because we lost the game. All she wants is to be like her mother, so she refuses to take responsibility for mistakes." Jay began punching the bag again.

"Okay, that loss was your fault, so don't give me that 'responsibility' nonsense and from what I heard, you got jealous. Again. And then you flirted with another girl."

Jay sighed, "So?"

"So, you really hurt her. Do you actually care about her?" Mal knew she was pushing buttons, but if she got Jay to admit that he cared about Lonnie, then she knew she might have a chance to get him to make up with her.

Jay's face went red with anger, "Don't you dare accuse me of not caring about her." He growled, "You know I love her."

"Then talk to her!" Mal exclaimed.

Jay shook his head, "I'm not apologising. Not this time. She was the one who overreacted to the loss. None of this was my fault."

Mal scoffed but left, knowing there was nothing else she could say, as she was just getting Jay more and more worked up.

Jane wasn't having much better luck with Lonnie.

"Come on Lonnie! This is ridiculous!" Jane was saying as Lonnie put away her bottle in her dance bag.

"Look, he didn't follow orders. He deemed me incapable. I didn't do anything wrong." Lonnie slung the bag over her shoulder.

"You overreacted about the loss and then you brought up a past fight. That's petty." Jane replied.

Lonnie rolled her eyes, "He brought up Cheng."

"And you brought up the fight. Why can't you two just make up?" Jane exclaimed, exasperated.

"Because he won't apologise first!" Lonnie responded, heading towards the exit. "So until he does, I'm not going to try and make up."

And with that she walked out, the anger steaming off of her.

Jane sighed and pulled out her phone dialling Mal's number. "Any luck?" When Mal told her that Jay wasn't budging, Jane sighed, "I guess we're going to have to do Plan B."

A few hours later, Lonnie walked into an empty drama classroom. "Jane? You here?" She looked around.

"Why are you here?" A voice asked from the doorway.

She whipped around, "Ugh." She groaned, seeing it was Jay, "Jane told me she needed some help with something. What are you doing here?" Her tone was cold and harsh.

"Carlos told me that he found something in here that he wanted to show me. But obviously, this was all just a setup. I'm out of here." Jay turned to leave but then was shoved in and the door locked behind him. "Hey!"

Jay began pounding on the door, "De Vil, when I get out of here, you are dead meat!"

"Oh give it a rest, Jay!" Lonnie snapped, "Obviously they're not going to let us out until we make up or break up."

"Fine!" He huffed and went to the other end of the room. "So are you going to apologise?"

"Me? You're the one who didn't think I was capable enough to take the other guy on my own, so you didn't follow the plan and cost us the game! And then you get jealous over nothing and then go and flirt with another girl!"

Jay scoffed, "Right, because you didn't overreact to the loss and didn't bring up a past fight which we managed to get through!"

Lonnie growled and ran at him. Jay was ready for her and caught her fist as it swung towards him, her anger having boiled over. Next thing they knew, they were doing hand-to-hand combat as they yelled at each other.

Lonnie went to punch him again, "I didn't overreact to the loss! You didn't follow the plan! You seem to think I'm incapable!"

"I didn't think you're incapable, I thought I had your back! But no because your mother is the hero of China, you have to do everything yourself and always be the hero as well!"

"Stop. Comparing me. To my. Mother!" She punctuated each sentence with a swing or a block. "And you still flirted with another girl!"

"Because you were off dancing the night away with Cheng!" Jay retaliated.

"He's my best friend. We always share one dance and always an upbeat one! It's a tradition, get over it!"

"And then you had to go and bring up a mistake I made to make me feel worse about myself." The hands dropped and they stopped fighting.

"I brought it up because you were acting jealous of Cheng again!" Lonnie sighed, "And I don't know how much more I can take of you being jealous of every guy I talk to."

Jay looked at her, "What do you mean?" his voice was suddenly soft and worried.

"You're so possessive and jealous and honestly, I'm getting sick of it."

"Lonnie...I'm terrified of losing you. That's why I act the way I do."

"Well, you shouldn't be!" Lonnie yelled, "Because you had my heart, Jay! No one was going to take that from you!"

"Lonnie, I was raised to believe that I was never good enough! So forgive me for thinking that I'm not good enough for you!"

Lonnie growled a little before marching up and to Jay. Honestly, he was expecting her to slap him. They were both getting wound up and she'd probably sick of him using his upbringing as an excuse for his problems. But then she did something unexpected. She grabbed his face and smashed her lips to his. Jay reacted automatically, wrapping his arms around her waist and aggressively kissing her back. Lonnie wrapped her arms around Jay's neck and deepened the kiss. Jay began pushing forwards, leading Lonnie to walk backwards until she was against a wall. Still kissing her, Jay pressed himself to her, getting as close as possible. They finally pulled back because they needed air.

"Don't ever say that you're not good enough for me," Lonnie whispered.

Jay panted lightly and nodded, "Okay. But you're right. I should trust that you'll never cheat on me, especially with Cheng."

Lonnie nodded in agreement, her arms still wrapped around his neck, "Jay, I'm sorry. You're right, I overreacted. I was just upset about the loss."

"I'm sorry too. I overreacted to your overreaction."

"I guess we're both just big drama queens, huh?" Lonnie said, smiling a little.

Jay nodded in agreement. "I guess so." He looked at her for a few seconds before smiling back gently, "I love you."

Lonnie smiled. It wasn't the first time Jay said it, but he didn't say it very often, not in such a deep and emotional way as he did just now. Butterflies began flying in her stomach and her heart raced.

"I love you too, Jay. So, so much." She then pushed his head towards her and captured his lips in a less heated, but still incredibly passionate kiss. They didn't let go of each other for a while, not even when the door opened.

"They're not fighting any more." Evie whispered before poking her head in, "Unless you count a tongue war as fighting."

The other teens, Mal, Carlos, Jane and Olivia, pulled a face at her that said _TMI_ before heading away.

"They'll thank us later," Carlos concluded before bidding the girls goodbye and heading to his own dorm.

Well, he wasn't wrong. They did thank them later. And those two became even closer than before. They both hated how out of hand the fight had gotten but they were glad they sorted it out. Lonnie and Jay were happy again, happier than ever before. So, if they ever had a major fight, the friends tended to skip Plan A and just shove the two of them in a room together. They always managed to work it out. Even at their breaking points, they managed to bounce back and be stronger than ever.

 **I am so, so sorry it took this long. First week I was unmotivated, second week my timing stank and I was only writing when I had about ten or fifteen minutes before I had to do something else. But it's here! Not as good as I hoped, but hey, there you go. Hope you liked it Owllover34.**

 **Request Counter: 32**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so happy you loved it!**

 **Owllover34: Yay, I'm so glad you loved it as much as I did. And I did my best with this story. Also, I am salty because I still have eight weeks of school left. As for the Lonnie thing, I already knew for weeks now. She wasn't there for the rehearsals so there was no way she could be in the movie. It was probably because of scheduling conflicts. Also, please don't condemn anything to hell. Jaudrey isn't an awful couple and just because you don't like it, doesn't mean you should 'condemn it to the pits of hell'. So please don't.**

 **Grace: Lol, okay. I'll make sure to let any future husband of yours know.**

 **BillaB: Sorry, but you're too late. The requests have been closed for ages. You're gonna have to wait a long time in order to request again. Sorry.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks.**

 **PotatoGirl: It was a bit strange, but I already had a plan worked out in my head, so please don't be offended if I don't use this specific idea.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	81. Anger Management

It was a cold day in Auradon Prep and the students were all gathering around the big fires and the large mugs of hot cocoa that were scattered around the school. Well, most were anyway. In the draughty stone room that was the amphitheatre, a group of teenagers were sweating heavily, despite the bitter wind of the outside. The boys in the team were moving faster than anyone had seen them move, led by the ever focused, ever determined and ever persevering captain of the team, Lonnie Li. She had the boys doing drills, running around the amphitheatre, doing push-ups and perfecting their technique to the point where the boys were sweating so much, the cold air of the outside was welcome.

Lonnie chuckled a little at the tired faces of her team, as she wiped the sweat off of her own brow. "Well done guys. Good practice. Have a good meal, get some good night's rest and I'll see you all in the morning, fresh and ready for a quick team meeting at breakfast."

The team left one by one, slowly catching their breath before heading to their dorms. Jay leant on his sword, grinning. "Well, captain. It is nearly freezing outside and I feel like you threw me into the sun. Nice work." He complimented, standing up straight and putting his sword over his shoulder.

Lonnie smiled brightly and took the sword from him, placing it in the sword bag as she began to put the equipment away. "Just doing my job," she replied, grinning back at him. Jay grabbed some equipment and helped her carry the stuff to the equipment closet.

"So after the game, wanna get some pizza and chill in my dorm?" He asked.

Lonnie raised an eyebrow at him as she took the equipment from him and placed it in its proper places. "And torture poor Carlos?" She asked, looking sympathetic. She thought about it for a sec, before shrugging, "Yeah, why not?"

Jay grinned again, "Great." He attempted to put an arm around her but she ducked.

"I am already sweaty and disgusting so I don't want to be washing off your sweat and filth as well." She said in explanation. "See you later." She pecked on the cheek and ran off.

"Oh, so you can kiss me but I can't hug you?" He called after her, a laugh in his tone.

"Love you!" Was the only reply he got. Jay shook his head with a laugh and headed to the gym showers, knowing his room-mate will have already claimed their shower.

Once showered and dressed, Jay went to his dorm and dumped his gym bag before heading down to dinner where his friends were all sat around their usual table. Every time he saw them there, Jay was reminded of the Knights of the Round Table. The roundtable made everybody feel equal, and not like they were supposed to look up at the person at the head and down at those at the feet. He squeezed himself between Jordan and Ally, placing his tray down on the table in front of him.

"Excuse me, lovely ladies." Jay said, as he sat down, "So, Jordan, what's today's topic for AuraTube."

Having been told a little while ago by a few people, namely his girlfriend and his best friends, that he didn't take enough interest in other people's lives, his made it his goal to ask at least three people about something that is not 'How was your day?' to show that he does genuinely care about his friends lives, even if he finds it tough to show.

Jordan began talking about her new video and Jay listened, genuinely interested, as Jordan always had ways of coming up with something new (and sometimes even a little crazy) for every day. Moments later, they were joined by Lonnie, who broke Jay's attention for a few seconds as he smiled and winked at her before turning back to Jordan. Soon after, they were all engaged in various conversations, laughing and joking and having fun. This was the life for them. Good times with good friends and nothing else to worry about. That is, of course, until reality catches up on them and everybody remembers homework and other things that need to be done.

To no one's surprise, Ben and Mal were the first up, having to run a country and all (as there was now no way Mal was going to let Ben do it himself, due to him still being a teenager and there being too much pressure). They were, of course, soon followed by Evie and Doug who had to do something for Evie's 4 Hearts, and Carlos, who promised Dude to take him for a walk. Jordan had her webcast and Jane and Ally had homework.

"And then there were two," Jay commented as Jane and Ally left.

"Very funny, daddy's boy." Freddie, who was still there, commented.

"Sorry, Shadow Girl, didn't see you there." Jay joked, causing Freddie to roll her eyes and get up, "Good luck with this moron, Lonnie. I don't know how you do it."

"A lot of willpower." Lonnie replied, laughing as Freddie walked away, "And then there was one, as I actually have some stuff to do. I need to turn a project in. See you later." She got up and left him.

"And suddenly, I am on my own." Jay sighed before getting up and throwing his trash away. He then headed to his own dorm, to get a good night's rest before the next day's game.

The following morning, he was woken up by a dog ripping off his blankets. He shivered as he sat up. "Dude, come on! It's freezing."

Carlos looked just as peeved as he sat up. "Bad dog."

"You'd have overslept because it was too warm otherwise. Come on, it's game day!" The overexcited dog stood up on his hind legs. "You guys need to be as awake as possible for this!"

Jay growled and began gathering some clothes, whilst Carlos told Dude off for waking them so early.

A text dinged on the ex-thief's phone. _Morning sleepy head. Hope I woke you up or you were already awake because it's game day and I want you awake and ready for this._

"Your dog and my girlfriend appear to have the same mindset," Jay said to Carlos.

"Please don't make the fact that my dog talks any weirder," Carlos replied, pulling a face. Jay chuckled and threw on his letterman jacket over his uniform. Carlos threw his own letterman jacket on as well.

"I thought you were the kind of guy who was cheesy enough to give that to your girlfriend," Jay commented.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Can't you go five minutes without trying to tease me? Seriously, it's too cold and too early for this. And for your information, yes I am. But I gave her one of my old leather jackets instead. Means more to her."

Jay rolled his eyes at his friend, "You guys make me want to hurl."

Carlos chucked a pillow at him and headed out of the room.

"Going to collect your lady love, then?" Jay yelled after him.

"Heck yes, I am!" Carlos replied, with no shame whatsoever.

Jay rolled his eyes again with a chuckle before heading out to breakfast, where his girlfriend was waiting for him, sitting in a slightly secluded spot near the back of the cafeteria, where they always met with the team on game days.

"The toast is piping hot today," Lonnie told him, "And they have hot cocoa."

"No coffee?" Jay asked.

"Nope. We have Julie this morning, the lady who doesn't think coffee and education mix."

Jay chuckled, "Good old Julie." He headed over and collected his breakfast before sitting down next to Lonnie. The rest of the team soon joined them and they began to talk strategy.

By the time the warning bell came around, they'd worked out a strategy and were ready to go to class. Lonnie gave Jay a quick peck on the cheek and sped off to class, leaving Jay smiling at her retreating form. He had a feeling that she was already going over all the plans to make sure they were practically perfect in every way, as that was what she did.

Jay half paid attention in class, although his mind was elsewhere at the same time due to a gnawing in his stomach like something bad was going to happen. He tried to ignore, figuring it was just a bit of nerves as their foes for this match were quite good and the Fighting Knights plans didn't always go according to, well, plan.

He was relieved when the bell finally went and shot out of his seat, heading straight to the amphitheatre. He patted some of his teammates on the back and headed out as soon as he heard Lonnie's knock on the changing room door. She gave her usual pep talk whilst the cheerleaders performed their routines in the background. The R.O.A.R team watched them finish off before gathering in a circle. "3,2,1!" Lonnie called, "FIGHTING KNIGHTS!" The whole team roared together before running into position. Lonnie smiled at her team as she shook hands with the opponent, knowing that this team was more than a team. They were a family, and families know each other and support each other. And they beat serious butt together too.

As soon as the whistle went, it was a whirlwind of tricks, flips and swords clashing, which was almost impossible to hear over the sound of the crowd, cheering, whooping and stomping like a pack of wild animals, their support for the team thick layered in every sound they made.

Lonnie was on fire, as per usual, her skill impeccable and her ability beyond beatable. Her sword swung this way and that, blocking, parrying, lunging, slashing, stabbing, slicing. It was constant and non-stop. She fenced with everything she had. She found herself against an opponent and she laughed as she managed to fight them without breaking a sweat. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and collapsed to the ground from the impact of the back of the sword coming into contact with her head. The match came to a sudden halt around her and Jay rushed to her side.

"Lonnie?" His face was red and she knew what was about to happen. Jay reeled on the guy who had performed the illegal move. He growled and went after him, causing the team to break out of their trance, two of them grabbing Jay whilst the rest of them pushed the opponent away, making sure Jay couldn't get to him. Jay struggled and growled again, swearing and making violent threats to the guy who had hurt his girlfriend.

Lonnie stood up, albeit slightly shakily, and went over to Jay. "Jay, enough. You're going to get disqualified and kicked off the team if you do anything. Come with me." She turned to the ref, "Any chance we can postpone the match as we now don't have enough fencers to play?"

The referee shook his head. "It already started so it can't be postponed, but I'm handing it to your team as the other team performed an illegal move, therefore injuring someone and as punishment will have to forfeit the match."

The opponent gasped in anger, "He was threatening me! Why doesn't he get punished?"

"Because the rest of his team managed to hold him back and he didn't cause any physical damage, his punishment lies with his coach." the ref replied.

Meanwhile, Lonnie was leading Jay out. Once out, Jay wrapped his arms around her. "Are you okay? Are you badly hurt? Do you need me to carry you to the nurse?"

Lonnie laughed and shook her head, "I can walk to the nurse, but I want you to come with me."

Jay nodded and the two of them began walking towards the nurse. "I want you to get help for your anger issues." She said suddenly, causing Jay to stop in the middle of the hallway.

"Anger issues? I don't have anger issues." Jay's brows furrowed in confusion and there was a look of surprise on his face.

Lonnie raised an eyebrow and gave him a _really_ look. "So what would you call that back there?"

"Teaching the guy who hurt my woman a lesson," Jay replied with ease.

Lonnie rolled her eyes, "Jay, you get angry far too quickly and have almost no control over what you do with that anger. In your time in Auradon, it's just been getting worse. I want you to get professional help before it gets to the point where you're sent back to the Isle."

Jay stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No. I'm fine, Lonnie. I don't need professional help. There is nothing wrong with me." Even as he was talking, he was getting angrier by the second, "I know I'm not perfect but I'm fine. I have my anger perfectly under control, thank you very much!"

"You're getting irrationally angry now!" Lonnie exclaimed, desperate for her boyfriend to go get help. She grabbed his hands and looked him in the eye, "Jay, please. If only to make me feel better. Please go to an anger management session."

Jay stood there unblinking before sighing and agreeing. "Fine. If it makes you feel better I'll go to one."

Lonnie smiled and hugged him, wincing slightly as her head still hurt. Jay growled a little when her wince reached her ears, causing Lonnie to pull back and give him a pointed look.

Jay sighed and calmed down a little. He wrapped his arm around Lonnie's shoulders and they began to walk to the nurse again. On their way, Lonnie began shivering a little. Without a seconds hesitation, Jay pulled her closer in his arms, wishing he had one of his jackets on him so that he could give it to her. Lonnie smiled at him and huddled into his warmth as they walked to the nurse's office.

The nurse checked for a concussion and told her that she was fine. She was just going to have a bit of bruising and minimum pain, meaning she'd just about escaped anything too drastic. Lonnie thanked the nurse and headed out, where Jay was waiting for her.

"Back to your room for pizza?" Lonnie asked with a smile.

Jay smiled and nodded, wrapping an arm around her and walking to his dorm.

Once there, Lonnie made herself comfortable and Jay headed out to the pizza place nearby to buy them a pizza. It was freezing in the room, so Lonnie wrapped herself in one of Jay's jackets which was laying around. She smiled as she inhaled his scent and lay back on his bed, watching the news play on the TV.

Jay entered later and smiled at the sight of his girlfriend wrapped in one of his jackets. She looked up at him as he came to sit down next to her and smiled back. The ex-thief placed the food down in front of her and kissed her gently. "You look good in my clothes."

Lonnie grinned, "Maybe I'll wear them more often. Now give me the pizza, I'm hungry."

Jay chuckled and opened the box. Lonnie grinned as she grabbed a piece and took a big bite. Jay grabbed a piece as well and settled down next to her.

The door opened suddenly and they heard a groan. "Lonnie, for goodness sake, you have your own room!" Carlos exclaimed, "You'd think you two would use it once in a while."

"Carlos, leave them alone." Jane's voice came from behind him, "We can go elsewhere."

Lonnie felt Jay getting worked up next to her and put a hand on his stomach to try and stop him from doing anything stupid.

Carlos sighed, "It'd be nice to be in my own room once in a while but whatever. Ow!" He exclaimed suddenly, rubbing the back of his head, "Did you just flick me?"

Lonnie didn't hear Jane answer as she pulled Carlos out of the room and shut the door behind them. Lonnie then turned to her boyfriend and kissed him gently, "Jay, calm down. He was just teasing me. You know that it's an inside joke between us."

Jay grumbled unintelligibly causing Lonnie to sigh softly and rub his shoulders gently. Slowly he calmed down and all tension left his body.

"See why I want you in anger management?" She reminded gently. Jay nodded before pulling Lonnie closer to her.

"Cold." He muttered, causing Lonnie to giggle lightly and curl up next to him whilst the two of them finished off their pizza.

The next day came with Lonnie knocking on the door of the boys' dorm. Carlos answered it and rose his eyebrow. "Seriously? I'm starting to think I should just move out and let you move in here."

"You want to sleep in the same room as Olivia?" She questioned, her eyebrow raised. Carlos rolled his eyes and stepped aside to let her in.

"Jay's in the bathroom. He'll be out in a second." Carlos said, putting his laptop in his bag. "I'm going to go to the library. See you later."

Lonnie waved goodbye and stood awkwardly in the room whilst she waited for Jay to come out. She heard the toilet flush and the tap turn on and off before the door opened, revealing Jay in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Hey, Lon. Time to go, already?" He asked, slipping on his long-sleeved brown leather jacket.

Lonnie nodded, "Yeah. Come on, it won't be that bad."

Jay nodded and sighed, "Let's get this over with."

They walked through the castle, out of the grounds and through town to the small therapist office, that was on the edge of Auradon City.

A couple of hours went by and Jay emerged from the therapist's room. He smiled at Lonnie who had sat and waited for him there.

"Hey, how was it?" She asked as she stood up. Jay shrugged and held out his arm for her to loop her arm in.

"It was okay. I'll go back again. You're right. I do need professional help."

Lonnie smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of you."

Jay grinned at these words and the two of them headed back to the school, knowing their future was slightly brighter.

 **Ugh, this took far too long. Sorry again. I've been distracted. But I managed it (eventually). I hope it was worth the wait, Owllover34.**

 **I swear I'm trying to write faster but I am way to easily distracted. I swear I'm trying.**

 **Request Counter: 31**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks**

 **veroandlegolas: I am very sad to hear that you're not going to read any more descendants fanfiction, but don't be too disheartened. Just because Lonnie isn't in Descendants 3, it doesn't mean that Jonnie can't be a thing. They probably won't even give Jay and love interest, so there is still hope yet. And don't be silly, I'll be making your prompts, whether you read them or not, because I'm looking forward to writing them.**

 **Owllover34: I am so happy you loved it! And yes, Jonnie will always live in our hearts.**

 **Grace: So happy you loved it. Hope you loved this one as well.**

 **FlatFox: (chapter 80) I'm glad you thought so. (Chapter 65) Yes, you did review on this one, but hey, no problem. You enjoyed it and I'm happy about it.**

 **Guest: IKR? But don't worry, there a few on the list. And I'll try to add random Janelos cameos in other stories as well, lol.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **SparkyGurl**


	82. Pranks (Janelos and Jonnie)

It was a bright and sunny morning in Auradon Prep and students were slowly getting out of bed and heading down to the cafeteria for breakfast before their lessons. The halls were crawling with zombies who need their morning caffeine, and slightly more bouncy morning people who made the zombies growl. In some rooms, students were still pulling themselves out of their bed and going about their morning routine.

One particular girl was slipping a hair band in her hair as she walked out of her bathroom, fully dressed and ready to go. She went to sit down at her computer to check her emails for the morning. As she opened her computer, she sat down in her spinning chair which went down slightly as she did so.

PWAARPP

Jane shot from her seat at the air horn sound, which had also caused Audrey to jerk awake and sit up, looking around for the culprit.

Jane looked under her chair, heart still pounding, and saw the air horn duct taped underneath the seat. She removed it to see a note hanging off it.

 _Morning beautiful. If you were still feeling lethargic, I hope this helped. Love you._

"What happened?" Audrey demanded, getting out of bed.

Jane sighed and handed her the note. "My boyfriend thinks he's funny."

Audrey looked offended, "He ruined my beauty sleep!"

Jane rolled her eyes, "I was about to wake you anyway. Breakfast will be over soon. And don't worry, I'll let Carlos know that it was totally uncool for him to do this." she reassured the upset beauty.

"I don't know why he saw that as funny. My mother is Sleeping Beauty, not Wake-me-up-too-early Beauty!" Audrey exclaimed, sitting down to do her make-up, throwing the note in the bin in the process.

Jane crouched down and untaped the air horn. She opened her desk drawer and put it in there for safe keeping so that she could return to Carlos later. As Audrey did her make-up on the desk behind her, Jane finally sat down and opened her laptop. She looked down at the keyboard to type in her password only to notice something was wrong.

"He changed the keys on my keyboard!" She exclaimed, looking down at the jumble of keys that were all in the wrong places, although very cunningly placed so that they were hardly noticeable. Luckily, Jane had quite the eye for detail and noticed almost immediately.

Audrey looked over at her. "Two pranks in one morning?" She questioned, "Isn't that a bit lame?"

Jane shrugged, "I don't know. But he's been pranking me all week. Yesterday, he put a confetti cannon in my locker so it went off when I opened it and then the day before that, he put all of my books in balloons and let them fly around in my room so I had to pop them all in order to get my books back." Jane sighed and got up. "I may as well go to breakfast. See you later." Before she left the room, Jane reached in her drawer and pulled out the air horn, planning on giving it back or throwing it away. Whichever.

She headed down to breakfast and bumped into a very annoyed looking Lonnie.

"Lonnie, hey. You okay?" The brunette fairy asked concerned.

Lonnie shot her a glare, "That idiot boyfriend of mine decided it was going to be funny to set an alarm clock for three in the morning and then hide it in my room! It took me fifteen minutes to find it! And once I'm awake, I'm awake, so I've been up since three and I am going to end up falling asleep in class." she ranted as Jane stood there, listening to her friend. The warrior took a deep breath and huffed, "Thanks, Jane. I needed that."

Jane smiled and nodded. "Any time. Has he done anything else?"

Lonnie blew out a long breath, "Yep. He put salt in my tea yesterday and the day before that, he hung my gym bag on a tree and I mean, high up on a tree. I had to scale it to get to the bag."

Jane patted her friend's shoulder, "Carlos has been playing pranks on me as well."

"Again?" Lonnie asked, remembering that this wasn't the first time for a series of pranks to happen to either of them.

Jane nodded, "Again." She explained to her what had happened this morning as well as the two days previously. Lonnie rolled her eyes at the end as she and Jane sat down at one of the smaller tables so that Jane could eat her breakfast (Lonnie had already eaten earlier).

"They really think they're funny, don't they?" Lonnie asked, leaning back in her chair.

Jane nodded as she began to eat her breakfast slowly, "Maybe we should prank them back?"

Lonnie stared at her friend for a few seconds. "Who are you and what have you done with Jane?"

Jane blushed, "What?"

Lonnie laughed, "A revenge plan? I think we've been spending too much time with the VKs."

Jane looked down, "Never mind. It was a silly idea." She took a tentative bite from her cereal.

Lonnie shook her head, "No, Jane, you are a genius. We have to prank them back. Oh look, there's Carlos now."

Jane turned her head and smiled at her boyfriend who smiled back before heading to the breakfast line.

"You have the air horn?" Lonnie questioned, watching Carlos's movements like a hawk.

Jane narrowed her eyes in confusion but nodded, pulling it out of her bag and sliding it to Lonnie. Lonnie's hand closed around it with a smirk and she hid it in her lap, just as Carlos came over.

"Hey," Carlos said, leaning down to give Jane a kiss. Jane dodged, leaving Carlos with a pout as he sat next to her.

Jane just gave him a look, "If you really think you can change the keys on my keyboard and still get a morning kiss, you got another thing coming buddy."

Carlos laughed, "I'll change them back later."

Jane rolled her eyes and turned back to her meal.

"Speaking of pranks that you did this morning," Lonnie said, slowly, causing Carlos to look at her. She pulled the air horn out of her lap and blasted it in Carlos's face, causing him to fall off his seat in surprise and everyone nearby to burst into laughter.

Carlos got up, completely red in the face and sat down again, "Okay, I deserved that."

Jane nodded in agreement, "I now have a sleep-deprived Audrey to deal with."

"I deprived her of what, ten minutes?" Carlos argued.

"This is Audrey we're talking about," Jane replied.

Carlos shrugged and carried on eating. Lonnie got up after a few minutes and waved goodbye to the two of them. Jane waved back before carrying on with her breakfast and talking to Carlos about this and that.

Soon, it was time for classes and Jane was at her locker, grabbing her books and smiling at the silly selfie of her and Carlos that was hanging on the door. She closed her locker and jumped at the sight of Lonnie's grinning face.

"I think I have a revenge plan cooking up." Was all she said before heading towards her class, her dark brown hair floating gently behind her. Jane stared at the spot where Lonnie was for a few seconds before blinking and going about her day. If Lonnie had something planned, she wanted in, as long as no public humiliation is involved, because that isn't fair on the poor boys. All they did was play a couple of harmless pranks.

At lunchtime, Lonnie came up to Jane, still wearing the grin. Jane was getting nervous, as it was not a happy grin. It seemed more like an evil grin. But Lonnie wasn't a villain. She couldn't possibly have any evil in her, could she?

"I am so glad it is tourney season." Lonnie said, "Because that gives us plenty of time to enact any plan we have."

Jane giggled, "You really want to do this, don't you?"

Lonnie nodded, "Those boys aren't the only ones who can play pranks, you know."

Jane smiled and shook her head lightly, "Okay. You're lucky Audrey cancelled cheer practice today."

Lonnie smiled her unnerving smile again, "I have plans and I think they are great."

She explained to Jane what her plan was, but Jane stopped her when she wanted to do something to publicly humiliate the boys. That's where Jane drew the line and Lonnie agreed, telling her that she won't publicly humiliate them.

They decided on the best plan and waited for the end of the day in order to make it happen.

When the boys got back to their room, laughing after a good practice and shoving each other about in a friendly manner, they didn't realise that they were in for a surprise.

"Okay, man, I got to-" Whatever Carlos had to do was unknown as he tugged at his computer which was not budging. "What in Lucifer's name?"

Jay meanwhile was struggling to open the wardrobe door. "What the hell?"

Carlos laughed, "Jane and Lonnie." He replied, turning around and facing his best friend, "It's a revenge plot."

Jay smirked, "Well, I have to say, glueing the wardrobe doors together and glueing down everything that moves is quite clever. But jokes on them. We have glue remover." He tried to open the drawer where they kept it. "What the heck?"

Carlos tried and it wouldn't budge. He noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the drawer and pulled it out.

 _If you want to have all your stuff unglued, come to Lonnie's room. We have the glue remover here. But there is one condition. Any time someone speaks to you, you respond in Pig Latin and then bleat like a sheep before running away. We will know if you don't._

Carlos stared at the note, clearly written in his girlfriend's neat print. "Wow. They are good."

"Too good." Jay replied, "I think we have influenced them badly."

Carlos nodded, "Come on, let's go and get this over with." Just then his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and answered it.

"You're not speaking pig latin." it was Lonnie, "Do you even want your stuff back?"

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Orry-say, onnie-Lay. Etter-bay?" He replied, sarcasm dripping in his voice. Jay snorted.

"Good. Now hurry up. We're getting bored."

Carlos rolled his eyes again before hanging up and gesturing to the door with his head.

Jay nodded and followed along. As they headed to the girls' dorm, it seemed like everyone wanted to talk to them more than usual.

"Hey, guys!" Aziz called from his room as he exited it.

"Ey-hay, ziz-ay!" Carlos said quickly. Jay bleated and the two of them ran for it. At that moment, it became an unspoken agreement that Jay would handle the bleating and Carlos would handle the pig latin, as he appeared to be much better at it.

"Hey, Carlos, did you finish that maths homework?" Someone asked, stopping the boys.

"o-nay. Orry-say."

Jay bleated again and the two of them ran off, leaving a very confused classmate behind. That kept happening and people were stopping them left, right and centre. They finally arrived at Lonnie's room to see her and Jane giggling at the computer screen.

Carlos crossed his arms. "Hidden cameras?"

Lonnie looked up with a grin, "A speciality of mine. As is the glue trick."

"Where?" Jay questioned. Lonnie got and walked towards him, leaving Jay with a raised eyebrow and a suggestive smile.

Lonnie smirked at him and grabbed his waistcoat flaps, much like she had earlier that day (which Jay fully enjoyed) and pulled out a hidden camera that had been peeking just out of it. "Voila."

The boys looked dumbstruck. "Wow, okay, you guys are good."

"And we recorded it all. So if you try to prank us again, we have the whole thing on tape." Lonnie replied.

Jane smiled, "Don't mess with us."

The boys nodded, "Lesson learned."

The girls smiled at each other before Jane got up and grabbed Carlos's hand, "Come on, let's get out of here. I need you to fix my laptop."

"Yes, ma'am," Carlos replied with a laugh, as the two of them left and headed to Jane's room.

Lonnie handed Jay the glue remover and the two of them went to fix the boys room.

Well, that didn't stop the boys from ever pranking them, but they were very careful about how often they did it. Lonnie never uploaded the video, as instead she just played a few pranks of her own, with Jane being the brains to make sure they didn't get in trouble and they didn't do anything too mean. Hey, just because they were AKs, didn't mean they couldn't have a mean streak.

 **Well, this is probably could have gone a lot better. PotatoGirl, I am so sorry. I know nothing about pranks or revenge but I tried my best. Sorry that it is nowhere near as good as it could have been if someone else wrote it.**

 **Do not be afraid to leave some constructive criticism. I'm not easily offended and I want to know how I can improve my stories in the future.**

 **Request Counter: 30**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I'm afraid we won't. She's not in Descendants 3.**

 **Owllover34: I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Grace: First off, I'm glad you liked that one sentence and secondly, you don't need to add a second review because we're besties and can just** ** _talk_** **about it. Besides, you adding another review means I need to respond to more and it already takes a long time to do so.**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so glad you loved it all and I am so glad you decided to stick around! Well done with the update btw, I was so proud of you when I saw that you had managed to write another chapter and it was beautiful, as always.**

 **Guest (09/06/2018): There is one a six-in-one coming up soon, don't worry.**

 **No mercy: (chapter 3) While I understand where you're coming from, for me, being family does not mean you are related by blood. And the VKs love each other so much that they are basically family, so calling them siblings just seems natural to me. (chapter 22) *Continues singing I'm Your Girl at the top of my voice***

 **Literalia: I'm glad you liked it and as for what they would've talked about, I have no idea.**

 **Sir Ships a lot: What's my name, what's my name? Huma! Feel the power!**

 **Guebisbugsf: While I understand what you're saying, ignoring bullies is harder than you think. If it keeps getting repeated at you, you start to believe and it can way down on your conscience. Words can hurt a lot more than anyone gives them credit for.**

 **Guest (12/06/2018): Yes, there will be a Janelos one. Don't worry. But it will be a while, so you're going to have to be patient.**

 **FlatFox: Yes, you did review it, but that's okay. I'm really glad that you loved it enough to feel the need to review again. Makes me feel proud of my works.**

 **Love you all!**

SparkyGurl

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	83. Elope

The radiant sun shone it's golden rays over the emerald lawns of the castle-turned-school and crept it's way up the stone walls and through the glistening windows, out to the back. The light travelled across the city, bringing life to its citizens, and illuminated the bright walls of Castle Beast, which stood in the centre of Auradon City. It's tall tower rose over the castle and cast a shade over the grounds. The balconies had all the best views of the city below, so the inhabitants of the castle could watch the city from afar and admire the greatness of the kingdom below. The halls of Castle Beast were decorated fit for a king and the rooms each as grand as the rest. The bedrooms were lavish and luxurious and those who stayed in them were treated like royalty. Although that may be because this Castle was, in fact, the home of the former king and queen, their son – the current king – and four teenagers who the former king and queen had taken under their wing, one of whom was the fiancé of the current king.

The latter five were all standing in the enormous garage which held cars, limos, carriages and, of course, scooters, the king and his lady's personal favourite mode of transport. Unfortunately for them, though, the trip they were about to make was a long one, so they'd opted to take a car, as the scooters wouldn't be able to carry their luggage, due to the fact that they were planning on being gone for a few days.

"Promise me you'll at least try not to do any work whilst you're away." The bluenette princess was saying as she pulled away from her friend's hug. "Or anything royal related? You're supposed to be on a romantic getaway. No king. No future queen. Just Ben and Mal."

The king's fiancée chuckled, "I promise. Now can I go? Ben and I want to get there as soon as possible. It's a long drive."

Evie nodded and stood back as Mal climbed into the passenger seat next to Ben. Mal waved at her friends, as Carlos and Jay had also come to see them off, and smiled as her future husband pulled out of the garage and began driving down the long road.

"Next time we go on a romantic getaway, can we just sneak away?" Ben asked, with a grin as he glanced over at Mal, "I could do without a send-off every time we go away."

Mal giggled, "Benny, dear," She said teasingly, "Next time we go on a romantic getaway, it'll be our honeymoon. The whole of Auradon will be giving us a send-off."

Ben smiled a little, "Yeah. Wish we could do without the massive wedding though. Just something small with you and me, my parents and a few friends, you know?"

Mal smiled, "Or even just you and me," She replied, smiling back at him.

Ben's smile widened a bit, "Evie would kill you."

The purplette let out a laugh, "True. I wouldn't be a very good wife if I was dead."

Ben chuckled as well and then the two of them fell into comfortable silence, both thinking about what it would be like if they really could just have a small wedding, with just the two of them and no massive fuss and no reporters trying to find out every tiny detail of every little thing.

A few days later, back in Auradon, Evie was sitting at her desk in her new design studio that she was renting with the money she had earned whilst at Auradon, sketching designs in her book and making plans of materials, accessories and other things.

The studio itself was a fairly large room which lived in a building full of art studios, dance studios, music studios, basically any studio you could think of, which were all available for rent as a way to help artistic people to get their careers started.

If you walked into Evie's 4 Hearts, the first things you'd notice is the flurry of colour. Material and clothes of every colour under the sun lay around from startling bright white to the blackest of blacks. Different hues of red, blue, yellow, pink, green, orange, purple and browns covered every inch of the room. The next thing you'd notice is the range of clothes. From simple tops to elegant ball gowns, from simple pairs of jeans to Prince Charming worthy suits. The accessories that were created by Dizzy of the Isle were there as well, every jewel glinting in the lights of the room. And crammed at the back of the room, almost hidden behind the rows and rows of mannequins, was a small desk with all Evie's designer tools, not far from another desk, on which sat a laptop used for financial reasons.

Doug knocked as he walked in, carrying a paper bag in one hand and a Styrofoam cup in the other. Evie glanced up and smiled before returning to her work.

"Hey Doug," She greeted, as she finished laying out the different materials on the page.

"Hey," he replied, before handing her the bag and cup. "I figured you may have forgotten to get some lunch."

Evie took the bag and cup gratefully, putting them to the side before turning back to Doug. "Yeah, thanks. I'm just trying to work out some ideas for Mal's dress. I want it to be the perfect combination of Isle and Auradon, and yet still be traditional and bridal," She explained, "Easier said than done."

Doug smiled, "Well if anyone can design a dress like that, it's you," he told her, putting his hand over hers. Evie smiled back and placed her other hand on top of his, sighing gently as she did so.

"What would I do without you?" She asked with a smile.

Doug just smiled back softly and dropped a kiss on top of her head. "I'll let you get back to work. I need to finish off some finances for you anyway."

Evie smiled brightly at him. "You're the best," she said, letting go of his hands and returning to her work. Her pencil tapped against the desk as she thought about possible designs, featuring material from leather to silk to even a combination between both.

As ideas flooded her brain she poured them out onto paper until she had several designs that she was happy with and was going to show Mal when she got back. Speaking of Mal, Evie heard her phone ring to see the name 'M' displayed on the screen.

"Hey M! I thought I told you not to think about anything else except you and Ben whilst on your romantic getaway," She half scolded, half-joked.

On the other end, Mal gave a chuckle, "Sorry E, but I couldn't help but wonder if you came up with a design for my dress yet? We were discussing the wedding a couple hours ago and I've been curious ever since."

Evie smiled and laughed a little, "You know me, I have several designs. I just need the input of the bride before I decide."

Mal let out a slightly nervous chuckle (which did leave Evie slightly confused), "Yeah, definitely. Oh, I have to go. The preacher is waiting to start the ceremony and can't have it without us." She paused for a second, "Please don't be too mad when we get back." And with that, she hung up.

Evie's eyes widened as the line went dead. Preacher? Ceremony? Mad?

 _Oh my rotten core_ , Evie thought. She stood up so fast that her chair fell over and Doug's head shot up in confusion. "Eve?"

Evie turned to him, eyes still wide, an odd look on her face. "I think Ben and Mal have eloped."

Doug's jaw dropped, "What?"

Evie explained to him the weird conversation she just had with Mal, "It doesn't seem like something she would do, but at the same time, what else could all that mean?"

Doug shook his head, "I don't know. I guess it fits. Claim to go on a romantic getaway so that they can, well, get away and marry without all the big fuss."

Evie looked upset and confused, "But I was supposed to be her maid of honour. Why would she want to get married without me being there?"

Doug shrugged, "Maybe she and Ben just wanted it to be a private ceremony? Maybe all the planning drove them over the edge so they decided that they don't want anyone there?"

Evie's face contorted with worry as she began pacing. "Oh no. I've been badgering her about the wedding plans for ages. Maybe I drove them over the edge? What if I'm the reason they don't want any of us there? Oh, this was supposed to be a big day for all of us, as we were finally letting Mal go as she officially became part of Ben's family. Jay was going to walk her down the aisle and I was supposed to be the maid of honour. And now we get none of that. Is it selfish of me to want to have witnessed my best friend get married?" Evie's brown eyes were sparkling with tears as she looked up at Doug, almost desperately.

Doug shook his head, "No, there is nothing selfish about that at all," he stood up and took her hands, "I'm sure Mal and Ben have a very good reason for doing this and they will tell you when they get back."

Evie nodded, blinking away the tears in her eyes, "Okay. I need to tell the boys. But just the boys. We don't want this getting out any further. They'll release it in their own time." She rushed over to her phone again and picked it up, dialled Carlos's number and asked him to bring Jay over as well so that they could talk.

Fifteen minutes later, both boys were in her studio, sitting on the stands that Evie normally had her customers stand on so that she could do fittings. Evie was pacing again, causing the boys to worry about her wearing a hole through the floor.

"Evie, calm down and tell us why you're freaking out," Carlos said gently, "Because you're kinda freaking _us_ out."

Evie took a deep breath and pulled up her chair from behind her desk. "I think Ben and Mal have eloped," She exclaimed in a rush, as she sat down.

Both boys eyes widened in shock and anger. "What?" Jay demanded, rising slightly as though he was going to go after them and knock some sense into them.

Evie gestured for him to sit down again and explained the phone call, telling them about Mal's nervousness about the dress, her saying that there was a preacher who needed them otherwise a ceremony couldn't start and that she asked her not to be mad when they got back.

Carlos rubbed his forehead trying to get his head around it whilst Jay seemed to be getting slightly madder by the second, although he managed to keep himself in check. Evie was pinching her lips together, not sure how to react, occasionally looking over at Doug for support, as he was still sat behind the laptop.

Eventually, Carlos spoke, "So, what do we do now?" he asked, carefully.

"They come home tomorrow," Evie replied, "So I guess we support them, regardless of their reasons. She is our sister and we always support each other."

Carlos and Jay nodded before Jay spoke up, "Can I at least hurt Ben a little bit? Nothing permanent."

Evie Carlos and Jay exchanged looks before bursting out laughing. Even Doug let out a little chuckle at that.

"We'll see, Jay. We'll see." Evie replied. Then she kicked the boys out as she still had work to do.

The next day came rolling in and the three VKs were stood in the garage, awaiting the return of Ben and Mal, as well as Doug, as Evie had asked him to come for moral support seeing as he was the only other one who knew what was going on. When the car pulled in, the VKs suddenly found themselves finding it difficult to stay supportive. They felt hurt, angry and betrayed. It must have shown on their faces, as Mal's smiling face fell when she emerged from the car.

"I told you they'd be mad." She said, looking at Ben as he got out of the car.

Ben saw the faces of the VKs and almost winced, "They look a bit too mad though. Surely it's not that big of a deal?" He whispered to Mal, as she came round to his side of the car.

Mal shrugged and grabbed her backpack out of the car alongside her suitcase. She put on a smile and walked to her friends. "Hey, guys!"

Evie found herself unable to stop herself and asked Mal, "So how was the ceremony?"

Realisation suddenly covered Mal's face, "I am so sorry. I was going to call you and tell you all about it but afterwards Ben and I went out for dinner and then as soon as we got back to the hotel, Ben practically forced me into my room as I hadn't slept so well the night before. It completely slipped my mind," She explained, "I mean, it was lovely and all, but yeah, I forgot to call you to tell you about it."

Evie bit her lip before asking, "So was it good? Everything you ever dreamed?"

Mal looked confused, "The trip or the ceremony?"

"The ceremony," Evie sighed, looking down at her carefully manicured hands.

"It was just an opening ceremony for a youth centre. Not exactly something I'd dream about."

"An opening ceremony?" Mal's siblings (and Doug) exclaimed in surprise. Jay and Carlos, who were glaring at Ben during the whole conversation making him feel exceedingly uncomfortable, whipped their heads round to look at her.

Mal nodded, looking back at Ben who also looked confused. She turned back to the other four before replying, "Yes, an opening ceremony. What did you think it was?"

Carlos began scratching the back of his neck, Doug started pushing his glasses up his nose over and over and Jay looked around as though searching for an escape. Evie looked at Mal looking slightly embarrassed, "Umm...we may have thought you…eloped?"

Mal and Ben stood there blinking for a few seconds before Mal snorted, "Eloped? Seriously? What in Auradon made you think that?"

Evie looked down at her hands again whilst the boys shrank away slightly, causing Ben to look at them pointedly as though to tell them that they had to stay. "Well, first you seemed nervous about helping me with the dresses, as though you were scared to tell me that you wouldn't be needing them."

This time it was Mal's turn to be embarrassed, "Actually, I was afraid I may end up not liking any of them and all your hard work would go to waste."

Evie nodded in understanding, "Well, that's why the dress is one of the first things we've been doing. So that we can have plenty of time in case I need to redesign. Anyway, then you said something about a preacher and a ceremony."

"The preacher of the small town we were in spotted us while we were in a coffee shop and asked us incredibly politely if Ben would do the honours of opening the new youth centre they had built because he felt people would take it more seriously if the king himself opened it," Mal explained, remembering how embarrassed the preacher was when he asked and how grateful he was when Ben agreed, as he had been afraid that he was being too forward with the king who was obviously there on other business.

"Oh." Evie replied, "Yeah, maybe try and explain next time something like that happens. That could be easily misinterpreted."

Mal nodded in reply, "Yeah, you're right," She suddenly turned and glared at Ben, "Don't think I can't hear you laughing."

Ben tried to contain his grin but failed and he let out a slightly louder laugh that the almost silent ones he had been trying to hold in, "Sorry, Mal. But you have to admit, it's kind of funny that they thought we'd run away to get married when literally everyone we know would skin us alive."

Mal couldn't help but let out a laugh as well, "Yeah, yeah. You're lucky you're cute, otherwise I probably wouldn't consider it at all," She replied, turning back to Evie as she winked at her fiancé.

"Why did you say we'd be mad at you then?" Evie asked.

"Because we were technically doing something royal related which you told us not to do?" It sounded more like a question as it left Mal's mouth.

Evie giggled this time, "Well, lucky for you two, I half expected you to do something royal related as opposed to just being the two of you. You're both natural leaders."

Mal and Ben smiled at each other and Ben wrapped an arm around Mal's waist.

Mal glanced over at the boys who were severely embarrassed as they realised their mistake, although not as embarrassed as Evie.

"I'm sorry guys. Must have been paranoia or something," She muttered.

Mal unwrapped Ben's arm from around her and went to hug her best friend, "Like I'd want my wedding without my maid of honour there."

This made Evie grin and hug Mal back tightly. Mal pulled back again and grinned, "I'm glad we got that out of the way because I don't think I would have enjoyed seeing my fiancé get beaten to a pulp all that much."

Everyone laughed there, as Jay and Carlos jokingly gave Ben threatening looks and gestures.

Doug spoke up for the first time since the king and his lady got back. "Well, how about we all head inside and preferably forget this ever happened?"

The boys nodded but Evie shook her head, "Uh-uh. You, missy, are coming with me. Unless you want to be getting married in jeans and a leather jacket, we need to go sort your dress out."

"You know, that doesn't sound too bad," Mal joked, but followed Evie anyway after she got glared at, but not before planting a quick kiss on Ben's cheek, "See you later."

The boys waved goodbye to the girls before heading inside and having a bit of a much-needed guys day.

Although Doug suggested they all forget what happened that day, it became a running joke between the six of them, confusing many people when they mentioned it around others. As for Ben and Mal's actual wedding, well, that's for another story entirely.

 **Here you go PotatoGirl. I hope this was okay. It wasn't as good as I hoped in my eyes, but I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Okay, I swear I have a valid reason for disappearing for so long this time. For the past two weeks I've had to do exams and I realised that my computer is one of my biggest distractions, so I banned myself from my computer until the two weeks of exams were over, which they now are. Hopefully I'll be writing more now, but I'm unpredictable so no promises.**

 **Request Counter: 29**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so happy you enjoyed it! It's really encouraging that you found it funny because I was afraid it was a bit bland.**

 **Grace: Thanks for your honesty. It helps. Also, that totally wasn't a mistake. Pshh. Don't know what you're talking about. Carlos TOTALLY has multiple faces.**

 **PotatoGirl: Glad you enjoyed it. Sorry this one took so long.**

 **Guest: If they are specifically requested or if I find a reason to use them. Any time soon isn't looking too likely though.**

 **Reade: I am glad you found it funny! I like making people laughing**

 **FlatFox: Yay! Happy you like it!**

 **twilight sparkle: I would love to but you're going to have to wait until the requests are open because until then, I won't be taking anymore re quests.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks. We all do. And YASSS JONNIE!**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	84. Flirts (6-in-1)

_Bal_ :

On a warm and sunny morning in Auradon, as the golden rays shined on the lawns of Auradon Prep and glimmered in the windows of the old castle. The beast statue glittered bronze and the flowers that surrounded it were in full bloom. Students were wandering around, enjoying the morning sun and the gentle breeze was brushing against the faces of said students. Inside, people were chatting as they walked, going to and from the student lounge, the cafeteria and basically any other place they enjoy hanging out. One girl, in particular, was drawing in her sketchbook as she lay across a sofa in the student lounge, her back against the armrest. She was trying to capture the life of the students in her school with paper and pencil. She felt a presence by her feet and looked up briefly as her feet were lifted and then laid on top of someone's lap, to see that her boyfriend had decided to join her and was now looking at her with a smile as he sat, her legs elevated on his.

"Morning," He said with a goofy grin that made her own lips twitch.

"Morning," The purplette replied, "Can I help you?"

"Well, my girlfriend appears to be out of bed in the morning on a Saturday and it has me a bit worried that she may be ill." Ben joked, winking.

Mal rolled her eyes, "I've decided to start waking up earlier. There is a lot of life in the morning that I usually miss from being asleep. Especially on a Saturday." She showed him what she meant by turning her sketchbook so that he could see the incomplete picture of some faceless students hanging around the student lounge. Even when she didn't add the faces of the students, she still managed to make it look full of life and joy.

Ben smiled at his girlfriend's talent and looked back up at her, admiration shining in his eyes. Mal felt her cheeks heat up a little and smiled back, before turning her sketchbook to face herself again and continue drawing.

"So, I was thinking," Ben began.

"Oh dear," Mal joked, glancing up for a second.

Her boyfriend shot her a playful glare before going back to what he was saying, "Do you want to go out to town this afternoon? Just you and me. We could grab a bite to eat and then try and hide from the reporters?"

Mal laughed, "Yeah. Or we could just get food and try to be a normal couple, as opposed to one who is always in the public eye," She saw the shame flash in Ben's eyes as he began to lower them so she reached out and grabbed his hand, "Not that I would trade this relationship for anything," She reassured him. "Just figured that maybe it'd be nice if we didn't have to hide from reporters for once."

Ben squeezed her hand, "Trust me, I wish we didn't have to either, but I guess that's the life I was born into and it kinda comes with dating me."

Mal hummed thoughtfully, "I guess I can deal with it then. After all, how could I ever let go of you?" She playfully pinched his cheek, making him laugh and push her hand away. Mal giggled as well before smiling at him, "Sounds good, though. But if we see any reporters..."

"We run," Ben finished, making Mal smile again before she turned back to her drawing. Ben rested his hands gently on her jean-clad knee and lay his head against the headrest of the sofa, turning it so that he could watch his girlfriend.

"Don't you have things to do?" She asked, after a minute or so.

Ben checked his watch and sighed, "Yeah, a couple petitions landed on my desk just as I was leaving last night, so I should probably go check those out." He gently moved her legs off his lap so she sat with her knees raised up. He stood up and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. "Text you later?"

"Not if I text you first," was Mal's reply, as the king of Auradon smiled at her and left. Mal smiled to herself as she continued with her drawing, every stroke of the pencil bringing the drawing even more to life.

Finally, she finished off the last few lines and smiled at her creation. She then carefully closed her sketchbook and tucked it under her arm as she stood and made her way out of the student lounge, heading back to her own room so that she could put her things away before continuing with her day.

The morning flew by and it was suddenly lunchtime, so Mal, her best friend Evie, her other best friends, Jay and Carlos, and a few others were all gathered around their usual table, chatting, laughing and genuinely enjoying each others company. Ben soon joined them, squeezing himself between Mal and Ally, smiling at those around the table as he set his lunch down. His girlfriend smiled at him and leaned herself slightly more towards him as if a magnetic was pulling her towards him. Ben stole a glance at her before joining in the conversation with someone else, chatting lightly as he ate his lunch.

As the hour ticked by, people eventually began disappearing, all heading to this place and that, Ben and Mal being one of the first to leave. Ben had taken Mal's hand, which caused her to look at him and he had gestured for them to leave, Mal knowing that this meant he wanted to go out to town now. Mal nodded and stood up, waving goodbye to her friends and she and Ben left the cafeteria before heading out. Just before they reached the entrance of the school, Mal asked Ben to wait for a bit so that she could quickly grab something. Ben nodded and let go of her hand, waiting patiently for her to return. She came back with her backpack slung over her shoulder and a smile on her face.

"Sketchbook?" Ben questioned, nodding at the backpack.

Mal smiled, "Sketchbook," she confirmed.

"You can't seem to go anywhere without it these days," Ben joked as they continued out of the building.

Mal laughed a little, "Yeah, well, inspiration is a difficult thing to find and it tends to be quite fleeting. Besides, there is a whole world out there to be drawn. Don't want to miss out."

Ben smiled at her, "Makes sense."

The two of them walked out of the site and began heading to town, which was a good fifteen-minute walk away. They made light conversation as they walked, finding it easy to talk to each other about anything and everything. As they walked, birds chirped and cars drove by, both getting quieter towards the centre of town.

Mal held Ben's elbow as they walked into town, both lightly smiling and looking around at the hustle and bustle of people going from this shop to that, carrying bags and hanging out with friends.

Mal looked at these normal people with their normal lives almost wistfully. Sometimes she wished her life could have been normal just once but then again, normal wasn't exactly her style. She looked back at Ben, who glanced back down at her with a smile.

"So, your Majesty," Mal began, "Where to?"

Ben smiled lightly, "There is a nice little café around the corner, which I seem to recall you loving last time we were there," Mal grinned slightly at the memory, as he continued, "Or there is some shops we could look at, or maybe the arcade, or something?"

Mal raised an eyebrow, "Like one of those really old school arcades you tend to see in movies?" She asked, with a grin.

Ben nodded, smiling back, "Yeah. They're pretty cool."

Mal nodded back, looking convinced, "Well then, be prepared to be beat, Beasty Boy," She cracked in knuckles in joking, yet somehow still slightly threatening, manner, making Ben raise an eyebrow and laugh.

"Bring it on, Dragon." He laughed, before grabbing her hand and dragging her to the arcade.

Mal giggled and kept a firm grasp on his hand. She gasped as she entered the building, with the flashing neon sign that read 'ARCADE'. She glanced around the semi-dark and took in all the flashing lights, all the games being played, from racing games to building games to shooting games, this arcade had something for everyone. Many people were in there, laughing and playing around as they hung out together as friends or couples. There was a snack bar attached to the arcade itself with a few friendly looking servers taking orders and dishing out snacks and drinks. Ben began to drag Mal over to a racing game, obviously challenging her, which she took to with no problem. Ben inserted the coins and the two of them sat down before choosing characters and letting the race begin.

It was a close game, but Mal managed to pull ahead just in time, placing herself in first and Ben in second. Ben groaned as Mal passed him, crossing the finish line. His character crossed seconds after then Ben looked over at his girlfriend to see the victorious smirk on her face.

"I am unbeatable," She bragged.

Ben rolled his eyes, "Lucky win. Try something else?"

Mal nodded eagerly and the two of them went around playing this game and that, Mal winning some, Ben winning others.

After winning at the basket shooting game, Ben glanced over at Mal with a smile, "Want something to drink?"

Mal nodded so Ben went over to the snack bar to get some sodas whilst she hung about near the centre of the arcade, waiting for him to return and pulling out a sketchbook to draw the scene around her.

Sometime later, she felt a presence near her. She turned, expecting to see Ben, only to see that it was, in fact, not Ben. This boy was slightly taller than Ben and his faux hawk was jet black. His eyes were a startling icy blue and his smirk was lopsided.

"Hi there," He greeted, his eyes going up and down her, clearly checking her out, before resting on her face.

Mal shifted slightly uncomfortably as she closed her sketchbook, "Uh...hi."

"Mal, right?" He asked, tilting his head ever so slightly.

Mal nodded, "Yeah, that's me. And you are?"

The boy extended a hand, "Jamie." Mal shifted her sketchbook to the other hand and shook his tentatively before he continued, "So, tell me, Lady Mal, what are you doing here all alone? I would've thought the king wouldn't let you out in public without some sort of bodyguard."

Mal smiled, "Actually, he's with me right now. He's just gone to get some drinks." She gestured over to where Ben was queueing to buy drinks.

Jamie glanced over to where Ben was before looking back at Mal, "You know, wouldn't be nice for you to be able to go to public places and not have to worry about whether you'll be in the media the next day? I mean, your private life is hardly private, is it?"

Mal shrugged, "I don't reveal anything I don't want to. And if we're caught out in public, we're caught out in public. We're just people, even if we do sometimes have to hide from reporters," she joked a little.

Jamie gave her a piercing look that sent chills down her back, "Surely, if you dated someone who wasn't famous, life would be so much easier for you?" He moved a curl out of her face. Her eyes followed his movements and she looked at him with a slight warning look. He smirked at her, "I mean, with me, I could make sure you live the life you deserve and the paparazzi will stop trying to get in that beautiful face of yours," he said, flirtatiously, as he tried to hook a finger under her chin, making Mal jerk back. "Oh, sorry," his apology sounded sincere, "You are just so gorgeous that I can't help myself around you."

Mal began to feel more and more uncomfortable by the second, but she didn't know how to respond.

Ben smiled at the server who bowed his head after giving Ben his drinks and his change, and turned to go find Mal. He spotted her talking to someone else, and judging by his body language and facial expression, it appeared he was flirting with her.

Ben took in the scene before taking a deep breath and heading over to Mal and the new guy, listening in as he got closer. The black-haired dude seemed to be trying to convince Mal that he was a better option as she would finally be out of the public eye, but Mal was not giving him any sort of response.

Taking another deep breath, Ben headed over to them, wrapping his arm around Mal's waist as he got close enough. He felt Mal physically relax and lean against him, smiling and kissing his cheek, showing him that the other guy's words meant nothing to her. Ben smiled down at her and pulled her closer as she lay her head on his shoulder, whilst putting the drinks down so that his other hand was free, just in case.

Jamie raised his eyebrows in a challenging manner, "Seriously? You want your entire life publicised? Fine. But how about I give you my number so you can find me when you come to your senses?" He snatched Mal's pencil and sketchbook out of her hands, leaving her too stunned to react. Luckily Ben was quick and grabbed the sketchbook, trying to pull it away but Jamie's grip was quite strong.

"It's rude to take things that aren't yours," Ben told him calmly, "So I suggest you let go and leave us alone."

Jamie snarled at him, "Fine. But mark my words, _your Majesty_ ," he said the words mockingly, "She'll coming running to me when she realises that being queen is too much hassle for her." And with that, Jamie let go and turned around, stalking out of the arcade.

Ben dusted off the sketchbook before turning to Mal, "My lady," he said, presenting it to her.

Mal smiled, taking it back and putting it in her backpack, "Thanks for that. I wasn't sure how to tell him 'no' politely."

Ben chuckled, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I was here then."

Mal nodded and smiled. Ben smiled back and picked up the drinks again, handing one to Mal and opening his own. The two of them decided that they'd had enough for the day and decided to leave, heading back to school.

They walked hand in hand, Ben's thumb tracing patterns over his girlfriend's hand. Mal glanced up at him, noticing how deep in thought he was.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, gently, bringing him back to reality.

"Hmm?" Ben responded, looking at her, "Oh, nothing. Just...are you happy?"

Mal stopped, causing Ben to halt in his steps and turn to stand in front of her. "What kind of question is that?"

"A genuine one," Ben replied, "I want to know if you're happy, with me. Being my lady and having your life publicised."

Mal sighed softly and placed her arms around Ben's neck as he looked at her with those big, hazel eyes full of worry. "Ben, if I wasn't happy, I'd probably be on the Isle right now. Yes, the reporters and the media has taken some adjusting and being your lady is hardly the easiest thing in the world, but, Ben, I am honestly really happy. I wasn't lying at your coronation when I said I wanted to be with you because you make me happy. Because you do make me happy. You always have. No matter what anyone else says, I will not leave you. I promise."

Ben stared down at her, his eyes searching her face, before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in for a searing kiss. He pulled back and leaned his forehead on hers. "I love you."

"I love you too, you dork. Now let's get home," Mal replied. Ben smiled offered her his arm, which she took happily and the two of them went back to Auradon Prep, their smiles bright and their love somehow even more solid.

 _Devie:_

It was a regular Thursday afternoon in Auradon and students were all dotted around the campus, hanging out with friends, doing homework or just enjoying the afternoon sun. Inside, the magnificent halls were filled with people bustling to and fro, greeting everyone they saw with smiles and hellos. Packs of girls stood chatting and giggling together, and groups of boys were messing around and being slightly wild together;couples could be found all over, flirting with each other or just simply being together;occasionally, someone would be spotted on their own, usually absorbed in some sort of work, as everyone had friends in Auradon and it was very rare to see people by themselves for any reason other than work.

One of these people who were on their own was a blue-haired princess with a knee-length cobalt blue dress on and a pencil between her fingers, her delicate fingertips almost stained black with how long she had been writing, her legs going slightly numb for being sat in the lavish library in the castle-turned-school. She tapped the end of the pencil against her chin thoughtfully as she stared at the question that had been stumping her for a while. She wrote something down before shaking her head and rubbing it out again, sighing gently as she did so. She was so caught up in getting the equation correct that she didn't hear someone come up behind her.

"You okay, Eve?" a voice asked behind her, firm hands finding their place on her shoulders. Evie nearly jumped out of her skin and looked around to see the sheepish smile of her adorkable boyfriend. "Sorry. Thought you heard me."

Evie smiled at him, "No problem, and I'm fine. Just a little stuck."

Doug settled himself down next to her, carefully pulling the homework from her and looking at it. He read over what she had done a few times before plucking the pencil out of her hands and making a simple correction. "Here."

Evie looked at it before covering her face with her hand, her shoulders sagging as she exhaled her exasperation of herself. "How did I miss that?" Her hand fell from her face and she looked over at Doug, laughter twinkling in her eyes.

Doug chuckled, "Easy mistake to make."

Evie took her homework back and finished off the equation, now that her mistake had been corrected.

"Okay, now that that's done," she turned to Doug, "Shouldn't you be at band practice?" Doug glanced down at his watch, his eyes widening.

"Oh, shoot!" He got up quickly, grabbing his tall band hat which he had put in front of him when he sat down and rushed off, waving briefly to Evie as he headed out to the band room.

Evie shook her head, chuckling slightly. It was unusual for Doug to be late, so when he was, she found his reaction rather amusing (he was once five minutes late to their date and he'd kept babbling about how sorry he was and how he would make it up to her. Evie had laughed a little too hard at how flustered he was getting and had to kiss him on the cheek to get him to shut up). Evie tittered at the memory as she began to pack away her school books and set off in search of a good fashion magazine to read.

The daughter of the Evil Queen ended up heading back to her room, digging out one of her more recent magazines from the piles of fabrics and clothing that lay around her. She smiled and sat on her bed before pulling out her phone and taking a selfie of herself, with her eyes closed, a slight smile, and the fashion magazine next to her face. She placed a filter on it before posting it on InstaRoyal with the caption: _Finally, a bit of peace and quiet after a long day of school._

She then put her phone down and began reading through her magazine, making mental notes of the 'in styles' and the different tips, wondering how she could incorporate this into her own work. Her room-mate entered, looking tired and chucking her backpack on her bed.

"You okay, M?" Evie asked, looking up from her magazine.

Mal groaned before flopping onto her bed, exhaling a massive breath as she stared at the canopy above her bed.

"That bad, huh?"

Mal nodded, "I swear if Queen Leah opens her mouth one more time, I may show her exactly how much of a villain I am."

Evie giggled and shook her head, "What am I going to do with you, Mal?"

"Restrain me before I end up killing someone and having to go back to the Isle?" Mal replied, her voice laced with humour.

Evie rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that seems to be a necessary move."

Mal rolled over to face Evie and stuck her tongue out at her, before grabbing a book that was on her bedside table and lay on her stomach as she began to read.

Evie laughed and rolled her eyes again before going back to her magazine. After some time, Mal lay her book down and got up, heading to her closet and pulling out her boyfriend's letterman jacket.

"You cold or something?" Evie asked with a smirk.

Mal shot her a look before throwing the jacket across her shoulder, "Ben has an away game this weekend and I promised to give it back so that he could wear it there. So if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Say hi to Benny Boo for me!" Evie called after her, getting an "Only I can call him that!" in return.

Evie laughed again before standing up and putting her magazine away. After that, she began clearing up the rest of her room, her cleaning instincts, that were instilled into her when she was young, kicking in. She sang quietly to herself as she put away the mass of fabrics into the boxes she kept them in, tidied up her measuring tape, sewing kit and other things, putting them all in their rightful places. She then went over to her purple-haired roommate's side of the room and began tidying up a few of her belongings that lay scattered around from her constant haste to make sure she had everything she needed. Being the king's lady meant Mal had less free time and less time to tidy up after herself. Not that that mattered to Evie, as cleaning was a good way to clear her head. Finally, after straightening out Mal's covers a bit, Evie glanced up at the time and realised that band practice would be almost over, so she grabbed her purse and went to go wait for Doug so that the two of them could grab a quick bite to eat before their study date, as they did every Thursday evening.

As she drew closer to the room where the band practised, she could hear Doug's trumpet, playing a brief solo before other instruments joined in one by one. She smiled to herself, listening to the music floating out the practice room, as she stood by the wall opposite, across the wide corridor, waiting for practice to be over.

Suddenly, she heard someone clearing their throat next to her, so she turned and smiled at the person. "Sorry, was I in your way?" she asked, sweetly.

The boy shook his head, his blond, slightly shaggy hair swaying from side to side as he did so. "No, don't worry. I just couldn't help but notice that you were rather beautiful. Your hair is such an unusual colour. Where did you get it done?"

Evie subconsciously began playing with a strand of her hair, "Actually, believe it or not, it's completely natural. It used to be much darker, but exposure to the sun has brightened it quite a lot."

The boy looked impressed, "How odd. I've never heard of natural blue hair. And I just realised that I haven't introduced myself. I'm Quentin. Most people call me Tin."

"I'm Evie," she replied, smiling at him, "Nice to meet you."

"You too. Are you new here? I don't believe I've seen you before."

Evie shrugged, "I transferred here a little while back. I'm one of-"

"The kids from the Isle, of course. I should've noticed that immediately," Tin finished.

Evie gave him a curious look, "Why is that?"

Tin smiled, "Well, you're so beautiful, you must be the Evil Queen's daughter, especially seeing as you carry a purse that looks a lot like her old box which you can see in the museum."

Evie glanced down at her purse before looking up with a smile, "I guess so."

He smiled again, giving her a quick once over, "So...would you care to hang out sometime? Maybe we could, uh, get to know each other."

Before Evie could answer, the door to the room opened and the band members began exiting, instruments and uniform hats tucked under their arms. Doug had been near the door, which had a window in it, and had been able to see Evie and Tin chatting the whole time as he cleaned and put away his trumpet. His mind immediately began assessing the situation and trying to find the most logical way of dealing with someone clearly flirting with his girlfriend. At first, he thought about doing something bold like punching the guy but then realised that that was utterly ridiculous since he can't punch very and that would probably make him the bad guy in that situation. Besides, he wasn't really the type for violence.

The best thing he could think of to do was to go and grab Evie's hand and assess her reaction, as well as the guy's flirting with her, just to see if she was interested in the guy, or not, and to see whether or not the guy was aware she was taken. Deciding that it was the best course of action, Doug left the band room last and smiled at Evie, approaching her and gently wrapping his hand around hers. Evie gave Doug's hand a quick squeeze as she continued to smile at Tin politely, glad that Doug was there so that they could go because she was hungry.

Tin watched as Doug came over and his face was covered in realisation and shock as Doug's hand found its way to Evie's.

"Oh," he looked at them apologetically, "Sorry. I didn't realise you had a boyfriend. I didn't mean any disrespect or...anything." He finished awkwardly.

Evie smiled at him, "It's okay. I would have told you, but I wasn't sure if you were flirting or just being nice."

Tin blushed, clearly still embarrassed, "I uh...I'll leave you two be. Sorry." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Evie felt a bit sorry for the guy, as he was so sweet, just completely unaware of her and Doug (which she found a little odd as they were the centre of gossip after the whole Ben and Mal thing kind of died down. But then again, not everyone pays attention to gossip).

"Well, that was awkward," Evie laughed, "Come on, I'm hungry."

"Wait, so you weren't aware that he was flirting and you weren't flirting back?" Doug asked, clearly relieved as he followed his girlfriend down the corridor.

Evie turned to him and flashed him one of her dazzling smiles, "Don't be dopey," she told him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before continuing down to the cafeteria, never once letting go of Doug's hand on the way.

 _Geddie:_

It was a fairly chilly afternoon in Auradon Prep and students were lounging about in woollen jumpers and thick cardigans, hoping to block out the bitter wind that blew around the school. Inside, it was fairly toasty, and many students had opted to stay inside for that reason. The atmosphere within one of the student lounges was one of laughter and joy. A group of students were sat together, joking about and exchanging stories, mainly about each other. One of the VK girls was sharing something about one of the others, causing the other girl to throw her head back in laughter before playfully knocking off the story teller's hat, causing the already laughing group to continue to roar with laughter.

"And, and remember the time-" Freddie was saying, trying to catch her breath between laughter as she snatched her hat back, "You were actually _on time_ for school? I have never seen you look so horrified at yourself!" Freddie pulled a face, imitating the look on her friend's face from that one time.

The rest of the group continued to laugh at Freddie's expression whilst Mal giggled and shot her a look, "It was horrifying. I mean, me - the daughter of the evilest of them all - on time. For school." The whole group laughed again, the VKs understanding why that was so horrifying and the AKs finding the idea of it hilarious. Freddie wiped the tears that had begun falling down her face from the amount they were laughing and took a few deep breaths.

"Anyway, I gotta scoot off." She stood up and picked up her guitar case which had been lying on the ground nearby. "I booked one of the music rooms and that is one thing I do _not_ want to be late for."

She waved as she left, turning her head slightly as everyone waved back and continues sharing old stories and cracking jokes. As mushy as it sounds, nothing warmed them up better than good times and lots of laughs, and that was one thing that Freddie loved about her friends.

She greeted a few people on her way, holding her guitar case close to herself. At one point, someone accidentally knocked off her hat, but, seeing as they live in Auradon, he immediately dived down and picked it up, dusting it off as he handed it back to her.

"Sorry about that, Freddie. Need to look where I'm going." It was one of her friends who she sometimes did guitar duets with.

Freddie waved off the apology and put it back on, "No problem. Catch you later?"

He nodded and continued on his way, going in the opposite direction from Freddie.

It seemed, though, that her hat didn't want to stay on that day though, as when she turned the corner, it was plucked off of her head by someone standing in the shadows. Freddie caught a whiff of a familiar stench of too much deodorant and huffed. "Gil, if you don't give it back, I'm not kissing you for a week."

Gil emerged from the shadows with a pout (a manly pout, obviously), "Well that was unnecessarily cruel," he replied, placing the hat back on her head.

Freddie smiled up at him, "What can I say? I was raised to be mean and vicious and cruel."

Gil laughed and put his arm around his girlfriend, "So, where you going?"

"I booked a music room for guitar practice," she replied, "But almost everybody else is in the south student lounge if you want to join them."

Gil thought about it for a few seconds before shaking his head, "No, I'm okay. I'll join you. I like it when you play guitar."

"Okay, but no distracting me," She warned, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Gil pretended to bite her finger, causing her to jerk it back and glare at him, "Really?" She deadpanned.

Gil just smirked and began playing with one of her pigtails as she rolled her eyes and the two of them made it down to the music room.

Gil looked around as Freddie set up, admiring the pictures of people who had won awards and the motivational posters that were plastered all over the walls. The room was full of stands for sheet music and there were pianos in one corner, and a drum kit in the other (most students brought their own instruments, but pianos and drum kits were a little difficult to carry around). There were a couple of stools scattered around as well, one of which Freddie had laid her sticker-covered guitar case and one she was sitting on as she strummed her guitar, attempting to tune it.

She did a couple vocal warm ups and then began playing. It was as though she had forgotten anyone else was there and it was just her and her guitar in the music room.

"Why you standing over there, acting like you just don't care. We can make our own kind of music..." she continued to play her song, leaving her boyfriend mesmerised as he watched her fingers move and listened to her voice soar through the room, smiling like an idiot at her talent.

A couple of times, Freddie glanced up and grinned at him as she sang, enjoying his awe a little too much. When she hit the high note, she lifted her face to the ceiling, eyes closed, a pleased look on her face and then went straight back to the chorus, grinning at Gil who's jaw had dropped slightly at how perfectly she had hit that note.

"The night is young," she sang the last part quietly and smiled at Gil.

"Wow," Gil exclaimed in amazement, "I did not know my girlfriend was that talented. Say, you almost sounded like Shrimpy."

Freddie giggled, "Thanks, I think." She coughed a little, "Hey, I forgot my water bottle in the student lounge, do you mind fetching it for me?"

"In exchange for what?" He asked, smirking.

Freddie matched his smirk, "Return with it, and you'll find out."

Gil seemed to like that idea and, with a twinkle in his eye, very quickly left the room to get her water bottle. Freddie chuckled, knowing she had that guy wrapped around her finger. She thought it was cute how he'd happily do anything for her, being a sweet gentleman most of the time. Basic Chivalry must have been doing some good for him.

Freddie strummed a few more chords and began to write them down in the notebook in front of her, writing a new song now that she was alone. She didn't mind Gil being there, but when it came to new songs, she was quite private and liked to make sure they were done before anyone heard them.

"Sounds good," a voice said from the doorway as Freddie played the first few lines, humming along gently. She started and nearly dropped her guitar in shock.

"Sneak up on me again, and I'll shrink your head," Freddie threatened, staring at the guy in the doorway, who was leaning on the frame.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he apologised.

"I wasn't scared. I was shocked. There is a distinct difference." Freddie closed her book and put her guitar to the side.

"You play beautifully," The boy complimented, gesturing to the guitar as he changed the topic.

Freddie smiled, "Thanks. I'm self-taught."

The boy looked impressed, "Really? Wow. Talented, pretty _and_ smart."

Freddie shrugged, "Thanks, I guess. How about you? You play?"

The boy shook his head, "Nah, I play piano. Lame, right?"

Freddie shook her head in disagreement, "Actually, piano is a really good instrument to play. I wouldn't mind learning to play someday. Hey, maybe we could do a duet, you on the piano and me on the guitar. You sing?"

The boy laughed, "I sound like a screeching cat when I try."

Freddie laughed as well, "Okay, I could do the singing and you could just play."

"Want me to teach you?" The boy asked, out of the blue.

"Sorry, what?" She looked at him confused as she picked up her guitar again to strum a couple of chords as her fingers were itching to move.

"Piano," the guy elaborated, "I could teach you to play piano if you want."

She considered his offer, "I dunno. I could probably teach myself just fine."

"Well, sometimes having another ear to listen can really help your musical ear to develop," he replied, shrugging.

Freddie thought about it for a bit, "Yeah, maybe some time. But I'm just trying to focus on my songs at the moment,"

"Oh, you write songs too?" He asked, curiously, sitting down, "Do you mind singing one for me?"

Freddie gave him a look, "Look, man, I'm really can't be bothered right now. If you go on AuraTube, Jordan has a video of me singing one of my songs at the Neon Lights Ball, so you can just check it out on there."

The guy looked slightly hurt but shrugged, "All right. Fair enough,"

"Also, why are you in here?" She asked, all of a sudden realising something, "I booked this room for an hour and that hour is nowhere near done."

"Oh, I booked next door but I heard you strumming and I had to come see who was making such beautiful music."

Freddie raised an eyebrow, "Well, thanks, but would you mind leaving? I kinda want to have the room to myself for a while,"

"Are you sure you don't want some piano lessons? I could teach you which note is which and you could probably take it from there. You do seem to have a knack for music," he offered again.

Freddie didn't look very sure, "Umm…fine. Just a few chords, then you'll leave me be?"

"If that's what you want," he winked at her, making her feel suddenly very uncomfortable. They went to the piano and the boy, whose name she still hadn't bothered to ask, stood right behind her, leaning over her and showing her how to play by putting his hands on hers. His hands felt grubby and slightly sweaty against hers and it took everything in her to not gag.

"Hey, Freddie, I found..." the voice trailed off. Freddie internally sighed with relief and stood up, removing her hands quickly from the other guy's and turned to see Gil standing with a very sad pout.

Freddie smiled and rushed over to him, "Hey!" She took the water bottle from him with ease, which surprised her as he normally teased her by keeping it out of arms reach until she either managed to knock it out of his hands or she kissed him, (whilst he preferred the latter, the former seemed to happen far more often).

She turned to the guy who had offered to teach her piano, "Well, thanks for teaching me some stuff, but my man is here now, so if you would go to your own practice room, that would be nice. I want to spend some time with him alone."

Gil looked at her curiously, his eyes wide with relief and happiness.

The other boy crossed his arms, "Wow. Way to lead a guy on." Before Freddie could respond that she wasn't as she had tried to ask him to leave before and didn't even know his name, he stalked out, nose in the air.

"What a weirdo," she voiced, turning to Gil, "Now, didn't I promise you something in return?"

Gil's pout disappeared and his eyebrows waggled suggestively, "I think you did."

Freddie leaned up to him, causing him to follow and lean down to her as well, when she abruptly stopped, "How about I show you my new song?"

He growled slightly in annoyance at her, before wrapping a strong arm around her waist, "How about I prove to anyone who may still be hanging around that you're mine and then you show me your new song?"

Freddie pretended to think about, "Hmm, yeah. Sounds like a good enough plan." She let out a very un-Freddie like squeal when he pulled her closer and smashed his lips to hers, without a second of hesitation. Freddie kissed back eagerly, before pulling back, grinning like an idiot, "Well, then, I believe that message got across nicely. Come on, let me show you what I have so far."

Gil seated himself on a stool nearby and became enraptured in her singing and her playing. She never let anyone hear her half-finished songs, so Gil couldn't help but feel a little more loved than he ever had in his life as she played the one verse that she had. And he couldn't stop grinning as he told her how much he loved it.

 _Huma:_

The overcast sky in Auradon City threatened to bring rain with the dark clouds that were nearing on black. People sighed as they saw that it wasn't going to be another perfect day Auradon, as it usually is, so many people opted to stay inside (unless they had things such as work and school which they needed to go outside to get to). It was no different in Auradon Prep, where students would normally spend their break times outside in the warm sun, many stayed inside, as the chances of rain were high and nobody wanted to get caught out in it.

Sitting by the window in the cafeteria as they ate was a group of students who were more accustomed to the miserable weather. The four students looked out of the window occasionally, as it reminded them of the place they used to call home. They didn't miss it, exactly, but it was still a strange feeling, to know that they'd probably never live in that forsaken place again. They didn't let it bother them though, as they were the ones who made the decision to leave and they were the ones who decided that being good had far more benefits than being bad. For example, friends were acceptable, even deemed necessary, so you didn't have to claim anyone was your 'partner in crime' or your 'crew' or your 'gang', as it was okay to call them your friends. Another thing was that Auradon was the land of opportunity, meaning they could be whoever they want to be, without being told their choices made them weak or were impossible to achieve due to circumstances.

"Looks like rain," one of the group commented, "That's rare."

The others chuckled, all knowing what she meant. In Auradon every day was practically perfect weather but very occasionally, it would rain, and most of the people of Auradon would stay inside where it was warm and dry. Some didn't mind the rain and some even liked it. The girl who spoke up was one of those people.

"Not thinking about going out if it does, are you, love?" Her boyfriend asked, knowing her love of rain.

Uma smiled at him, "Come on, Harry. You know me. Of course, I'm going out if it does."

The others shook their heads in wonder, not knowing how it is their friend was so happy to be in the wet and the cold, especially when it made most people feel miserable.

"You're going to end up catching a cold," they would tell her, but she didn't really listen. She liked being out in the rain and that was that. Nothing could change her mind.

Uma gave them all a look, "Hey, just because you guys don't appreciate rain, doesn't mean I can't."

They all rolled their eyes and chuckled, finishing off their meals as the bell rang for the next class of the day. They all waved goodbye and headed their own ways, making sure they stopped by the lockers to collect the rest of their books that they'll need for the day.

As predicted, it did begin raining, and as it was the last period of the day, Uma worked especially hard so that it would feel like time was going faster, which meant that it would feel like she was getting to the rain sooner.

Placing her books in her locker, Uma ran out to the picnic tables and lifted her face to the sky, welcoming the droplets that were pouring down her face.

Rain was so refreshing. It felt like some higher power was pouring water to cleanse the earth and then make things grow. It filled the rivers, lakes, streams and brooks, it gave life, making the grass greener and the trees the water they need to grow. Even though it was cold, it made life and without it, life would be very difficult.

It never rained on the Isle. The dome blocked out any weather other than overcast, meaning that it was always bleak and grey. The villains liked it, obviously. Sunshine was for weaklings such as heroes and rain didn't leave things dead as they should be. If they were lucky, they occasionally were able to see lightning and hear thunder, but never very loudly and never on the Isle itself.

When Uma first felt rain, she'd at first found it slightly odd but then, as the water soaked into her skin, she realised how clean it made her feel. Like all the bad things she had done were just washed away by the water that fell from the sky.

Her crew hadn't thought much of it, complaining that it was cold and the water made their clothes feel heavy. She had rolled her eyes but told them that if they didn't like it, they could go inside. She wasn't in charge of them any more and they didn't have to like everything that she liked.

So now, every time it rained (which, again, was quite rare), Uma would be outside, sitting or standing, letting the rain wash over her, making her feel blissful and at peace.

As the rain continued to pour, Uma sat with her eyes closed, loving the smell of fresh rain and enjoying the feeling on her face. She began to clear her head, think thoroughly through things that she hadn't had time to properly think about in a while. She knew she probably looked strange, but Uma honestly couldn't care less. She was happy, and that was all that mattered.

As she sat there, Uma heard footsteps approaching behind her, squelching slightly in the mud that was once dry dirt. Uma paid no heed, as she guessed it was just someone passing by. She suddenly felt the rain stop but the sound of rain upon an umbrella became very clear. She opened her eyes and looked up to see someone standing over her, umbrella in hand, a smile on his face.

"You know you're going to catch a cold like this," he commented.

"I'll take my chances," She replied, "I happen to enjoy being in the rain."

The boy hummed, "Interesting. You don't get many people who like the wet and the cold."

"Well, I'm one of a kind. Do you mind moving your umbrella? I'd rather not be under it."

The boy did as he was asked and sat down across from her, keeping his Auradon blue umbrella above his head.

"So, tell me, what's a pretty girl like you doing out in the rain, insisting that she get sick?"

Uma raised an eyebrow, "Apparently insisting that she get sick. I just like the rain, okay? It's refreshing and peaceful."

"Poetic," he replied, "You seem quite the insightful type. Let me guess, poetry club?"

Uma stared at him, "Auradon Prep has a poetry club?" she blinked a few drops out of her eyes, "Huh. I did not know that."

"Okay, not the poetry club then," He looked at Uma for a few more seconds, "Okay, here's my guess, you're really good at English, you don't care what other people think of you and you're a leader, not a follower."

Uma looked impressed, "Okay, wow. You're good. I'm guessing you take psychology?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah. I enjoy it. I've been told that I'm good at reading people."

Uma nodded, "I can confirm that."

The guy smiled before shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I just realised that I haven't introduced myself. I'm August."

"Uma," she replied, tilting her head in acknowledgement, "Ursula's daughter," she added, as an after-thought.

Recognition flicked over August's face, "Well, you are far prettier than your mother, that's for sure."

Uma smiled again, "Thank you, that's very kind of you."

"You passed Remedial Goodness with flying colours, didn't you?" He commented, with a laugh.

"What, too polite?" She joked.

"More polite than one would expect of a villain kid," he replied.

"Well, there is more to us than meets the eye," Uma said, tapping her fingers on the table in front of her.

"Clearly," he answered, "Are you sure you aren't cold or anything? You can have my jacket if you are."

Uma shook her head, "Nah, I'm good. Not sure if my boyfriend would appreciate me wearing another man's jacket anyway."

"You have a boyfriend?" he asked, with curiosity and, Uma noticed, a hint of disappointment.

Uma nodded, "Yes, I do. Although, neither of us is that keen on labels like that."

"Well, if he doesn't even want to call you his girlfriend, then surely he isn't treating you with the respect you deserve," August commented.

Uma was about to reply when she noticed the rain stopped, "Aww. Oh well. That was nice while it lasted."

August nodded as well, before reaching out with his hand that wasn't shaking the water off of his umbrella and touching hers. Uma glanced at it with a frown before jerking her hand back.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. If your boyfriend doesn't want to call you his girlfriend, then is he really respecting you? Does he really love you or care about you? How can you be sure that you're not just a fling for him?"

Uma raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me? Are you accusing my first-mate of something?"

"'First mate'?" He questioned, "That's what he makes you call him? Sounds a bit odd, nothing romantic about that. But I, on the other hand, could probably come up with the most romantic of nicknames. After all, I am very good at discovering what makes someone tick."

Suddenly Uma heard angry footsteps behind her, almost as if someone was charging. She turned around at the fearful look in August's eye to see Harry approaching with a murderous look in his eye.

Before Uma could stop him, Harry grabbed August's collar, "She's taken. Back off. That's my captain you're flirting with. Mine."

"Harry, chill," Uma told him, standing up and removing his hands from August. "August, I suggest you leave. I can only restrain him so much."

August stood up and scoffed, "Whatever. You'll see I'm right, Uma. And I think you'll see very soon."

Uma rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure, whatever."

August walked away, heading towards the school.

"What did he mean?" Harry asked, watching him go.

"Nothing, he's irrelevant. What are you doing out here anyway?" Uma asked, squeezing the excess water out of her hair.

"Well, now that the rain's stopped, I thought we could spend some time together." He told her, smirking his signature smirk.

Uma smiled, nodding, "I do like the sound of that. Although, we could have spent more time together if you'd joined me earlier." She grinned cheekily and began to walk away.

Harry was quick to follow, "Perhaps, but unlike you, I don't fancy getting sick. Speaking of, we need to get you into some dry clothes."

Uma chuckled as she headed inside, "Okay, fine. But try not to kill anyone for flirting with me, next time? They just have the same taste in women as you."

Harry chuckled darkly, "Maybe. But they can't have my woman."

"If you say so," Uma replied with a wink. She went to go give Harry as side hug but he dodged her.

"Uh, no way. I happen to like this jacket. I do not want it to get soaked." He said, smiling at her.

"Aww, are you sure? Just one hug?" she held open her arms and began to advance towards him, "Come on, Hook. Just one hug."

"You may be my captain, but no." His grin was wide as he continued to dodge her.

Soon, she was chasing him through the halls, her arms open wide, calling out, "Aww, come on, Harry! You know you want to!"

"Uma!" was the cry heard that alerted anyone who knew what was going on to the fact that Uma had, in fact, caught him and had wrapped her arms around him, causing his clothes to also be wet.

"We match now," She said, grinning.

Harry chuckled before letting go of her, "You just started a war you won't win, captain."

"Try me." was Uma's answer. The two of them spent the rest of the day running around and chasing each other, through the school, the grounds and even the woods behind the tourney field. Admittedly, Uma did get sick as she spent the afternoon in wet, cold clothes but if you ask her, she'll tell you that it was totally worth it.

 _Janelos:_

On a bright and sunny morning, the students of Auradon Prep were getting up and getting ready for the day ahead of them, preparing their supplies for lessons and ensuring that they had the correct books and the correct homework to turn in. In the cafeteria, pupils were grabbing breakfast so that they'd have the energy for the day and food was always a good start to a day.

On end of the cafeteria, somebody dropped their breakfast, and immediately people swarmed round to help pick it up and get him a fresh bowl. On a different end, a girl was crying as her boyfriend broke up with her a few minutes earlier, yet she wasn't alone, as her friends were immediately there, comforting her and holding her.

See, that was one of the things that Jane loved about Auradon. Bad things rarely happened, and when it did, people were always there to make things better again. Whether it's something as simple as dropping your food or something more complicated like a dragon attack during a coronation that was your fault because you became shallow and began believing that looks are everything so stole your mother's wand in the middle of a ceremony to make yourself more beautiful and in the process break the dome that kept the villains in the Isle and out of Auradon, there was always somewhere there to make things right.

Speaking of, Jane thought, as she looked up from her clipboard briefly enough to spot a head of white hair making it's way towards her, here was one of her heroes now.

"Hey," greeted Carlos, giving her one his lopsided grins as he took a seat next to her.

"Hey," She echoed, as she turned back to noting stuff down on the clipboard.

"What are you doing?" He asked, curiously peering over her shoulder.

Jane flicked him on the nose gently with her pen without looking up to tell him that he was too close and making it difficult for her to focus. Carlos drew his head back with a tiny whine, which made Jane giggle.

"I'm working on the arrangements for the charity event next weekend," she explained, finally answering his question. "I have to talk to Ben and Mal seeing as they founded the charity but they essentially told me that they trust my judgement enough to know I'll do really good."

Carlos looked at her slightly worried, "Isn't that a bit much pressure for you?"

Jane shook her head, "I have others helping me," she told him, finally looking at him, "I'm just in charge."

Her phone began to ring, making her sigh softly, "Yes? Kathy, I am in the cafeteria, couldn't you just come to me with this instead of ringing? Okay. Okay, no, that's fine. Yes. Uh-huh. Right. Don't worry, you're doing great. Okay, no problem. Bye!"

"And that was?" Carlos asked as she put her phone back down.

"Kathy. A newbie to the committee. Wants to please everyone and is constantly making sure she's doing everything right, even after we've reassured her that she is. She's painting the banners for the event and she was worried she got the colour scheme wrong even though I've told her four times that she got it right."

Carlos chuckled, "Well, at least you always know that there is someone reliable who won't make mistakes."

Jane giggled lightly, "I guess so." She checked something off on her clipboard, "Okay, that means that the banners are painted."

"Remind me what the charity is again?" Carlos asked, all of a sudden.

Jane gave him a _seriously?_ look. "For the VKs still on the Isle, remember?"

Carlos blushed, knowing he should have known that, "Oh...right. Of course. The one where they help provide VKs stuck on the Isle with hope, reassurance and other things."

"And allow VKs here to send things home to family still there and to sponsor children who are still in need of guardians. Ben and Mal are hoping that this charity will begin with VKs and then expand further to help all children, as AKs can have troubles too." Her face fell a little when she said the last bit, looking like her eyes may begin welling up with tears.

Carlos smiled at Jane gently and took her hand, squeezing it, as he knew what she was thinking about. Jane had lost her dad when she was quite young and it had been difficult for both Jane and Fairy G. They probably could've used the support that the charity was hoping to be able to start offering, so Carlos knew that this charity was something Jane was passionate about.

Jane smiled at him before clearing her throat and moving on, "Anyway, this event will hopefully kickstart the charity and we'll be helping VKs in no time. We expect it will be a few years before we can expand to other children as well."

Carlos nodded and smiled as his girlfriend began talking about the event and everything that was planned, admiring the passion in which she spoke, along with her confidence and determination that everything will go according to plan. He had to admit, she had changed since she was that shy girl who didn't think much of herself. She'd become confident and accepting of herself, which had made her seem even more beautiful than she'd already been to him. She used to keep to herself, to her books, helping her mother out around the school. She still helped her mother and she still liked her books but now she was far more active, friendly and, without a doubt, more outspoken about her passions.

Halfway through her rambling, however, her phone rang. Jane looked at the name and picked up.

"Hailey? Is everything okay? Okay, slow down, I can't understand what you're saying," She frowned lightly, "Okay. Okay. No, that's fine. Don't worry. I'm sure they'll get here on time. No, it's okay. You made a mistake, happens to the best of us. Seriously, calm down. Okay? Good. See you in chem. Okay, bye!" She huffed after she ended the call.

"I'm guessing that that wasn't good news in the slightest?" Carlos asked, looking at her concerned.

"Hailey accidentally cancelled the order for the balloons and has to reorder them and we're not sure if they'll make it on time and I know balloons aren't that important but I want everything to go perfectly and smoothly and this isn't and I really hope they'll get here on time and-"

"Jane," Carlos interrupted, "Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay. We can do charity events without balloons, so if they don't make it on time, they don't make it on time."

Jane nodded and took a deep breath. "Thanks, Carlos."

He smiled, "Any time."

"Hey, Carlos!" Someone called from the other end of the cafeteria. Carlos raised a hand in greeting and stood up.

"I have to go. Me and David are working on a new program together and we want to get it done," he told her as he stood up.

Jane smiled, "Of course. Have fun."

Carlos dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before heading over to his friend.

Jane looked at her clipboard and began writing things down about the balloons. Eventually, she stood up and headed to her locker, knowing she had fifteen minutes before the first bell and she liked to be prepared.

She opened her locker, grinning at the photos she put up of her and Carlos and her and her friends and even a one of her and her mother. She gathered her books from her locker and placed her clipboard on top of the pile in her arms, to ensure that she had it with her in case of any other changes or job allocations that still needed doing. As she closed the door of her locker, she jumped, seeing a boy standing right behind it, clearly having just closed his own locker, which was next to hers, and was watching her.

"Oh my bibbidy bobbidy," she exclaimed, placing a hand on her heart, "You gave me a fright."

"Sorry," The boy apologised, "I just couldn't help but notice that I haven't seen you before, which is rather odd, considering we have lockers next to each other."

Jane shrugged, "Maybe you haven't been paying attention." She smiled at him, "I'm Jane."

"Logan," he responded, nodding at her, "What's that you got there?" he asked, gesturing to her clipboard.

"Oh, just stuff for a charity event I'm trying to organise."

Logan looked impressed, "Wow. That's cool. What's the charity?"

" _You & Me_. It's a charity founded by King Ben and Lady Mal to help VKs, and, hopefully once the charity is big enough, other children who are in need," Jane explained briefly, "This event is supposed to kickstart it and set it in motion. We already have a few donors but it's not quite enough yet."

"So you organise this all by yourself?" Logan sounded impressed.

Jane shook her head, "Not entirely. I'm just in charge. I'm happy to do it, seeing as Mal is now a quite close friend of mine and she and Ben are so busy that they just wouldn't have time."

"You're incredibly kind," he complimented, "As well as pretty."

Jane blushed, "Oh. Thank you."

"Would you want to go out sometime? We have off-campus privileges next weekend."

Jane blushed deeper, "Oh, I'm sorry. I have a boyfriend."

"So?" Logan replied, "He doesn't have to know."

Jane shook her head, "But that's wrong. I'm not going to cheat on him."

"Come on, Jane. It's just one date. Maybe you'll find that you prefer me and then you can leave him," He tried to convince her.

Jane shook her head frantically, "No, thanks. I'm perfectly happy with my boyfriend."

"How can you know for sure if you don't try other guys out?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head again, "No. Please leave me alone. You're making me uncomfortable."

"Why? Because you realise what I'm saying is true?"

"I believe she asked you to leave her alone," A voice said from behind Jane. She nearly cried in relief as her boyfriend's familiar and comforting voice floated into her ear. She noted a slight growl in his voice and turned around to confirm that he was indeed seething.

"I believe that this is none of your business, De Vil." Logan quipped.

Carlos approached him slowly, holding eye contact with the guy, his upper lip lifting slightly as he clenched his teeth, making it look like he was baring them at him, "I believe that it is my business seeing as it's my girlfriend that you're hitting on."

Logan laughed, "Please like you could ever get a girlfriend."

Jane narrowed her eyes and reopened her locker, swinging it so that Logan could clearly see the photos of her and Carlos. She pointed out one where she was kissing Carlos's cheek.

"No, he can," she replied.

Logan scoffed, "Jane, you could do far better."

"You don't get to make that decision for her," Carlos barked at him, struggling to contain his anger.

Logan turned to him, "And you do?"

Carlos growled slightly, looking like he was about to pounce.

Fear began to show up in Logan's eyes as he heard the growl, not knowing what was going to happen, as he'd never seen this guy angry before.

"Back. Off." Carlos told him, "She asked you to leave her alone, so be a gentleman and do just that."

Jane was amazed at how well Carlos was keeping his cool.

Logan rolled his eyes, "Fine. But when he breaks your heart, I'm here," he told Jane, making her crinkle her nose in slight disgust. And just like that, he was gone.

Carlos took a few deep breaths and calmed down. "You okay?" He asked Jane, wrapping an arm around his waist.

She nodded before looking up at him, "My hero."

Carlos grinned, "Well, what can I say? I have to help a damsel in distress."

Jane grinned back and leaned up, pecking him on the cheek, "I seriously wish guys like him knew how to take a hint," she said. Carlos nodded in agreement, squeezing her tighter.

He looked down at her to say something whilst she looked up at him expectantly, only to be interrupted by the first warning bell. Carlos sighed.

"I'll see you later," he told her, letting her go, "Just text if he comes near you again."

Jane nodded and kissed his cheek again, "I will."

And with that, the two of them headed off to their own classes. Between school, the event, social lives and each other, they didn't have any room for Logan in their thoughts and he was soon forgotten as the important things were what the two lovebirds thought about, and in all honesty, he was irrelevant to them and their lives.

 _Jonnie:_

The weather in Auradon was pleasant, with the smell of sweetly scented flowers, freshly mown grass and upturned dirt filling the air with every garden people passed. It was spring, the time of regrowth and new life. Up in the air, two people sat side by side in a small plane that was to take them to Northern Wei. Usually, they would have taken the limo, but Jay had never been on a plane, so Lonnie decided to pay for the two of them to take the small plane that the airport had and fly to Northern Wei. The small plane tended was used for travelling within Auradon, travelling from region to region as opposed to out of the country.

As they flew high above the clouds, Lonnie had rested her head against the window and had fallen asleep, exhausted from the Spring Break Dance that had happened the night before. She hadn't gotten much sleep as she had to get up early the next morning in order to catch the plane.

Although he was tired, Jay couldn't bring himself to sleep. He was looking past Lonnie's head, out of the window, smiling as he saw how high he was. It was such an odd feeling, knowing how high up he was. He wondered if flying carpets felt any different, seeing as they were open air and couldn't go as high.

He was still watching the clouds go by when Lonnie woke up, slowly cracking an eye open, causing Jay's attention to be diverted to her when he heard a small groan.

"Hey," he said, grinning at her.

"Hey," She replied, her eyes half open. She let out a yawn and opened her eyes properly, blinking rapidly due to the sudden light.

"I think we should be there soon," Jay commented.

Lonnie nodded, "Probably." She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Of course. Your family is pretty cool," he said. "And not just because they're the heroes of China."

Lonnie smiled at him, "I'm glad you think that."

They fell into silence, waiting for the plane to finally land. When they got there, there was a car waiting to take them into the Stone City.

Lonnie greeted the driver warmly and she and Jay put their bags in the boot before climbing into the back. Lonnie laid her head on Jay's shoulder with a sigh.

"You okay, Lon?" Jay asked, concerned.

Lonnie nodded, "Yeah. Just thinking."

"About?" He prompted, nudging her gently.

"I dunno," she admitted, "It's just...coming here always makes me feel like...less of a person. It's difficult, you know, living around all these heroes, especially when you're the daughter of one."

Jay put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it gently, "You need to stop comparing yourself to your mum. You hate it when others do it, so you shouldn't either. You're not going to be your mum but you're going to be just as awesome in your own way. You don't need to save China. You just need to be happy with who you are and how your life is going."

Lonnie looked up at him, eyebrows raised, "Have you been spending time with Ben?"

Jay laughed, "Is it showing?"

Lonnie nodded, laughing a little herself, before shifting her head to lean on him more comfortably, "But yeah, you're right. But it's difficult."

"No one said life was easy. Trust me," he reassured her.

Lonnie pursed her lips worriedly and her hand rested on his stomach, letting him know she knew what he was saying.

Minutes later, the driver announced that they had arrived so the two of them thanked him and got out of the car, paying him and grabbing their bags from the boot. Once the driver drove away, Lonnie wrapped her arm around Jay's waist and Jay's arm went around her shoulder. The two of them made their way to the house in front of them. Before they could get to the front door, however, it burst open and who should come running out but Fa Mulan herself. Jay managed to let go of Lonnie just in time as Mulan flung herself at her daughter, wrapping her in a hug.

"I've missed you, baobei," She told her, pulling away from the hug.

"I haven't been gone that long," Lonnie said with a laugh, "Did something happen? You're never this excited to see me."

Mulan shook her head, "No, of course not."

"Except for the fact that your mother has realised that she's not going to be able to keep you forever." A voice said behind them. Jay and Lonnie looked over to see Li Shang standing there, his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

"I've always known that. It's only just hit me though," Mulan confessed.

"L'il Shang finally moved out then?" Lonnie questioned.

Shang and Mulan nodded. Lonnie breathed a little laugh and wrapped her mother in another hug, "He's not gone forever, Ma. He'll be coming back regularly."

She parted from her mother and went to go hug her father. Mulan turned to Jay and gave him a quick hug too. "It's good to see you, Jay. I trust you've been well?"

"Lonnie's taking good care of me," Jay replied with a smile.

Lonnie laughed, "Yeah. If it weren't for me, Carlos, Mal or Evie, you'd probably be lying dead in a gutter somewhere."

"Oh, come on," Jay replied, "Let's not exaggerate."

The four of them laughed and Mulan grabbed their bags, "Let's get you settled in."

"Thanks, Ma," Lonnie said, following Mulan inside, "Hey, Ba?" she said, turning back to her dad, "Is it okay if Jay and I go visit Taipo?" She asked, unsure.

Shang thought for a second, "I'm sure she'd like that. She's rather ill and she'd love to see the two of you still together."

Lonnie laughed, "Of course. Thanks, Ba!" And with that, she headed inside, Jay following.

"Taipo?" Jay was still unfamiliar with all the family names in Chinese (there were a lot of them), so it was hard for him to work out who was who.

"Great-Grandma Fa," Lonnie explained, "Taipo is the name for your maternal great-grandmother."

Jay let out a breath, "Great. I'm probably not going to remember that."

Lonnie chuckled, "You'll get there eventually. Come on, there's a nice park near where Waigong and Waipo live, so we can go there once we're finished talking to Taipo."

"And Waigong and Waipo are…?" Jay asked, knowing he'd heard it before but wasn't too sure.

Lonnie gave him a look, "Maternal grandparents. Come on, you knew that one."

Jay shrugged, "Sorry, languages aren't my thing."

Lonnie rolled her eyes playfully before giggling and heading into her room. Jay was to take over Li'l Shang's old room again, as he did every time he came (which wasn't often and he'd never been here at the same time as Li'l Shang). After Jay put his bag in the room, he went into Lonnie's room, where she was holding something in her hands.

"Lon?"

Lonnie turned around, showing that she was holding a stuffed bear, "I think Li'l Shang moving out has made Ma feel very sentimental."

Jay walked up to her, "What's that then?"

Lonnie looked at the bear again, "My stuffed bear. I used to not be able to sleep without him. But I accidentally left him here when I went to Auradon Prep and I realised I didn't need him any more, so when my mum tried to give it to me on Family Day my first year there, I just told her that she should keep him at home."

Jay smiled, imagining a small Lonnie tucked up in bed with this bear lying in her arms. He smiled at the thought.

"Maybe you should take him with you. Might make your mum feel better," Jay said putting an arm around her shoulder.

Lonnie chuckled, "Maybe." She put the bear down on her bed, "But we have a sick great grandma to visit."

Jay nodded and the two of them set off to visit Great-grandma Fa.

"Taipo?" Lonnie said softly after Fa Li led her into the room. The old, frail woman coughed softly.

"Hello, child." She said with a smile, "And you brought your man!"

Jay smiled, "Hey."

"How are you feeling Taipo?" Lonnie asked, sitting on the foot of the bed.

"Terrible. But better now that I see such a good-looking man. Mmm, mmm, mmm!" She winked at Jay, which made Jay and Lonnie both laugh.

"Well don't just stand there like a fool, boy. Sit, sit!" Jay sat down next to Lonnie and wrapped an arm around her waist, as he had a feeling that was something that the old woman wanted to see. Her great-granddaughter in a good, stable relationship.

They chatted together for a while, with a lot of laughs and good-natured banter.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Fa Li appeared in the doorway.

"Are you staying forever?" Great-grandma Fa chimed in, aiming it specifically at Jay.

They all chuckled before Lonnie shook her head, "No, Waipo. Sorry. Next time maybe, but we only just got here so I want to eat dinner with Mama and Baba. But don't worry, I'm here all week so I'll visit again," She promised.

Fa Li nodded and Lonnie stood up to leave, Jay following her. Before Jay could go, though, Great-Grandma Fa grabbed his wrist. "Stay here for a moment. I would like to talk to you alone."

Jay looked a bit confused but nodded, sitting down on the foot of the bed for a bit. Lonnie nodded at him, "I'll wait outside, 'kay, babe?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah. I'm sure I'll be out in a few."

Lonnie smiled and left, heading to go sit in the park that was just across the road.

"Hey there." Lonnie looked up to see a jogger running on the spot next to her bench, "What's a pretty girl like you doing sitting there alone?"

"Waiting for someone. He's inside with my sick taipo. She wanted to talk to him alone," She explained, gesturing to the house.

"But that's the Fa's house," he said in shock, "Wait." He stopped running on the spot and looked properly at Lonnie.

"Lonnie? Li Lonnie?" Lonnie studied his face.

"Oh my gosh, Gao Yuan! I didn't notice that was you." She stood up and greeted him with a hug,

"How have you been?"

"Great. Auradon Prep obviously did you good," he said appreciatively, looking her up and down, "You look gorgeous!"

Lonnie blushed, "Aww, thanks, Yuan. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Hey, Yuan! Why have you stopped?" Another guy stopped next to him, jogging on the spot himself, "You gotta keep going, man."

Yuan nodded, "Sorry. Saw an old friend. Catch you later, Lonnie!" And with that, he jogged off.

The other runner sat down, taking a drink from his water bottle, "Hi. I'm James."

Lonnie smiled, "Lonnie."

The other guy smiled, "Nice to know someone else who got a name that isn't Chinese."

"We're not as uncommon as you may believe," Lonnie replied, knowing what he meant. Many people in Northern Wei wanted their children to be proud of their Chinese roots so would give them Chinese names. Other people preferred the sound of names that weren't Chinese so gave those to their children instead, not really caring that it wasn't traditional.

James laughed, "Maybe so. You come here often?"

Lonnie shook her head, "No, I go to Auradon Prep, so I'm only here for the Spring Break. My grandparents and great-grandma live around here," she told him.

James nodded, "Well, that's a shame. You know, if you're here all week, I wouldn't mind taking you out to dinner sometime, just you and me."

Before Lonnie could reply, she heard a slight growl behind her and closed her eyes with a sigh. Luckily, the culprit of the growl didn't attack James but instead sat next to Lonnie, wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her neck.

"Jay!" She laughed, turning to him, "Not here. We're in public!"

Jay pouted and tightened his grip around her, but obeyed, only nuzzling her hair a bit.

James raised an eyebrow, "Wow. You must bring a lot of dishonour on your family by being such a slut."

Jay's head shot up, "What did you just say to her?" He demanded.

"Well, clearly she is a slut if she's flirting with me and sleeping with you," James replied.

Lonnie put a hand on Jay's chest before he did anything stupid, "Jay, no."

"But, Lonnie, he's-"

"Trying to dishonour me, I know. But it's okay. I've got this."

Jay didn't look sure but backed down anyway.

"For your information," She said turning to James, "You were flirting with me, not the other way around. And as for the other thing, Jay is my boyfriend. We aren't sleeping together but even if we were, it wouldn't be any of your business. So why don't you go flirt with someone else and try and get the full story before dishonouring someone, because otherwise, you just bring dishonour upon yourself."

And with that, Lonnie stood up, holding her hand out for Jay, who happily took it. The two of them walked away, hand-in-hand, back to Lonnie's parents' house.

"What did Taipo want?" Lonnie asked as they walked back.

Jay shook his head, "Nothing important. Just being a crazy old lady."

Lonnie laughed, "That sounds like Taipo."

Jay reached into his pocket and closed his hand around the box that was there. It was definitely something for quite far in the future but he vowed to keep it safe until then.

 **Here you go PotatoGirl. I enjoyed writing this one (especially Bal, Janelos and Jonnie)**

 **Guys, I am so sorry. Between writer's block and camping for two weeks (I got off school on the 24** **th** **of July) I just haven't been able to write. It didn't help that this was a six-in-one and was much harder to writer, therefore. But hey, it's here and I've decided to stop being down on my writing because I've looked over some of my old works and read my own comments on them and honestly, I want to go back in time and slap myself for being so self-depreciating.**

 **Also, credit to Grace for the name of the charity in the Janelos section.**

 **Request Counter: 28**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks, I guess. Glad you liked it.**

 **PotatoGirl: I'm so glad it made you laugh and I really hope you like this one. Your suggestions really did help so thank you so much for that.**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so happy you liked it so much! I really wasn't too sure about it but I'm glad it made you happy. Makes me more confident in my work. Lol. And thank you for being so patient. I promise I'm trying.**

 **Grace: I thought you may relate to Evie (I may have even based her off you. I can't remember though. That was over a month ago). And I'm glad I fooled you. Sign of a good writer.**

 **Guest (07/07/2018): I'm glad!?**

 **twilight sparkle: Glad you thought so!**

 **xez2003: I'm so happy you loved it! And thanks. I came out with pretty good grades (Nothing below a C, which, at this level, is really good). And don't worry. Plenty of Bal coming up!**

 **Reade-Queen-Of-Versailles: XD Okay, you make me laugh. I'm glad you liked it though**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	85. Play in Prep (Jonnie)

The atmosphere at the school was buzzing with excitement. The school had decided to put on a play and for once it wasn't one of the stories of the heroes who lived in Auradon (there was nothing wrong with those stories, but they get repetitive after a while). The students were all excited and many people were getting ready for auditions. Everybody was expected to take part in some shape or form, whether it was acting in the play or not. The whole school was going to be assigned jobs and they were all looking forward to it, even if their job was to just be the audience.

A group of girls were hanging out in the lamp that belonged to the daughter of Aladdin's genie, lying in sleeping bags and sharing a bowl of popcorn between them. They were discussing the play, which the auditions would be for the next day.

"You're seriously not going to audition?" Lonnie asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

The blunette princess shook her head, "No, I'm not," she said smiling, "I read the play and I thought about it but then the wardrobe team said they wanted me to help them design costumes and I just couldn't refuse."

The others shrugged, knowing this made sense.

"How about you, Mal?" Ally asked, "Are you going to audition? I think you'd be great if you did! You could even get the lead!"

Mal shook her head, "No thanks. Acting, not my thing. I signed up to help design the sets. They said my skill with the spray cans could really help them out so they agreed with no problem. How about you then, Ally?"

"Oh, I don't know," She twiddled her thumbs, "The idea of being up on stage does seem rather new and exciting. I don't know if I'd be frightened or if I'd be any good. Honestly, I think my chances of being on stage went down the rabbit hole quite a while ago."

"Oh, don't be like that, Ally!" exclaimed Evie, "I'm sure you'd be great! Try it out."

"Well, it does seem rather curious," Ally admitted, "Okay, I'll audition tomorrow! Ooh, this is more exciting than when I first went to a Madhatter tea party!" She threw her hands in the air in excitement.

Lonnie laughed alongside the rest of the girls before turning to Jordan, "So, Jordan?"

"Filming it for parents who are unable to come to see and probably going to interview the people who get the main parts," Jordan answered without hesitation.

"Before you ask," Freddie jumped in, "I'm not auditioning either. I'm playing guitar."

"Jane?" Lonnie asked, looking over at the petite fairy goddaughter.

"Umm, well, I was thinking about maybe auditioning and if not I'll be helping out organise the after-party-"

"Because everything in Auradon is followed by a party," Freddie muttered, making the others laugh.

"Or I'll help organise things like rehearsals. Whatever needs doing really," Jane finished, as though there had been no interruption.

"I'm auditioning," Audrey said, matter-of-factly.

"And that surprises no one," Freddie commented.

Audrey shot the voodoo girl a look, "Can you keep your comments to yourself?"

"Play nice," Mal told them, looking pointedly at Freddie who just rolled her eyes and tilted her hat (which she still hadn't taken off, despite being in her pyjamas).

"Actually, I'm thinking of auditioning as well," Lonnie said, looking down at her nails, a little embarrassed.

"Really?" Evie was grinning, "Girl, you'd kill it. I bet you're going to get the lead role!"

Lonnie shrugged, "I don't know if I'm any good. Never done it before."

"Well, I've had the lead role many times in various plays," Audrey piped up, "Especially ones involving my mother. I could give you a few tips so that you definitely land a speaking role,"

"Audrey, you've never done a Shakespeare play before," Jane reminded her, "They work differently to most of the school productions you've been in."

Audrey shrugged, "I'm sure it'll be fine! I can adapt my acting to Shakespeare plays."

"Okay, if you're sure," Jane replied, "But, seriously, Lonnie. Go for it. You're going to be great."

Lonnie smiled, "Thanks, Jane." She helped herself to another handful of popcorn and began chucking bits in the air and catching them in her mouth.

"You're a show-off, you know that, right?" Mal said, with a laugh.

"Yeah," Lonnie agreed, "I think I've been dating Jay too long. He's starting to rub off on me."

The other girls all laughed again before continuing talking and eating popcorn.

Eventually, they all settled for the night, curling up in their sleeping bags and slowly, one by one, they fell asleep. Ally was one of the first to fall asleep, which was surprising due to how constantly energetic she was. She was even being slightly hyper before she fell asleep. Jane followed soon after. This surprised no one. Jane was constantly doing something now that she's taken on more responsibilities and uses even more energy as a cheerleader, so everyone understood why she was one of the first to fall asleep. Audrey was the next one to fall asleep. She had an exact time to go to sleep each night (except for Fridays and Saturdays) to ensure she got the 'perfect' amount of sleep. Mal was almost immediately after Audrey, a smile on her face as she let out a soft sigh, indicating a good dream. Jordan and Freddie fell asleep after a quick whispered conversation, leaving just Lonnie and Evie awake.

Lonnie looked over at Evie and saw she was sitting up, clearly trying to stay awake. "You okay, Evie?"

Evie nodded, "Yeah. Go to sleep. I'm fine."

Lonnie looked curiously at her, in the dim light that was always in the lamp. "You sure?"

Evie nodded again, "I'll be asleep soon after you are, don't worry."

Lonnie decided to believe her and rolled over, slowly falling asleep.

The next morning she awoke to the sound of someone shuffling around. Groggily she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She opened her eyes properly and looked over to wear Evie had been sleeping to see her doing her make-up in a mirror that hung on Jordan's wall.

"You're up early," She commented, making Evie jump.

"Oh! Lonnie. Hi. Yes, I know. I was just doing my makeup." She waved her brush at Lonnie.

Lonnie nodded, "Okay. If you say so. Wait, what time is it?"

Evie checked her watch, "Umm, six-thirty."

Lonnie raised an eyebrow, "Okay then. Why so early?"

Evie shrugged, "I like to be up first," she admitted.

Lonnie had a feeling it was something deeper but she decided not to push it. "You really think I'd get a part if I auditioned?"

Evie looked grateful for the change in subject and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I think you'd be a great Viola."

"Please don't say it's just because she cross-dressed like my mum," Lonnie replied.

"No, of course not. She just values loyalty, above all else, because, even though she loves Orsino, she still tries to woo Olivia for him, because she's a dedicated servant."

Lonnie blinks, "Um, okay? Not sure how that relates to me at all, but okay."

Evie shoots Lonnie a look, "I'm just trying to say that she's loyal to those she loves, making sure they're happy even if it hurts her."

Lonnie shrugged, "Fair enough, I guess."

The other girls slowly woke up after that and then they all got ready for the day before going out to get breakfast.

Lonnie spotted the boys when they walked into the cafeteria and pointed them out to the other girls. Mal's face lit up when she saw that Ben was there, as he'd been too busy to stop in the cafeteria for breakfast lately. After collecting their breakfast, all of the girls sat down with the boys, Mal leaning against Ben with his arm around her, Jane sitting across from Carlos and smiling over at him, Jordan and Lonnie sitting on either side of Jay, Ally across from Lonnie and Freddie across from Jay and next to Doug, who Evie had sat down next to.

Conversation found it's way to the play again, discussing everyone's roles.

"I'm just hosting," Ben said when asked, "Even if I wanted to audition, I wouldn't have time for rehearsals and such."

They all nodded in understanding.

"So, Freddie, why will they need your guitar?" Jay asked, sipping his coffee.

"Apparently the clown sings, so he needs music," Freddie answered.

"Ohh, that makes sense."

"What about you then, pretty boy? You going to audition?" Freddie responded.

Jay shook his head, "No way. I'd rather not prance around faking like some people."

Lonnie coughed awkwardly, "Babe, I'm auditioning."

Jay's eyes widened, "Oh um..." This caused everyone on the table to laugh.

"It's okay, Jay," Lonnie reassured him, "I just hope you're okay with the fact that your girlfriend likes to prance around being fake."

Jay laughed, "I'm in trouble."

Everyone laughed again. Freddie looked at Jay, "So what are you doing?"

"Just carrying stuff around, helping set up the stage, whatever they need muscle for," Jay replied.

"So why did they ask you?" Lonnie said, looking at him with an innocently confused expression.

Jay glared as the others laughed, "I'll admit I kinda deserved that," he said, shaking his head with a laugh.

Lonnie laughed again as she nodded, "Yeah, you did."

The focus turned to the others as they all told what they were planning on doing.

"I'm on lights and sound," Carlos said.

"I'll be auditioning," Doug had confirmed, explaining to those who were shocked that he was a fan of Shakespeare's work, especially the comedies.

"Remind me how your father is Dopey," Freddie had said when Doug had once again shown that he was a bit of a nerd, causing both Doug and Evie to glare at her.

"Okay, that was rude," Evie called her out.

Eventually, everyone finished their breakfast and began to leave, most heading to the auditions, others moving to other things that needed to be done.

Lonnie took a deep breath as she waited to be called out. Jay came running up to her as she watched others audition.

"Hey, you're going to be great," he told her, squeezing her hand which he had grabbed as soon as he got to her.

Lonnie smiled and quickly pecked his lips, "Thanks, babe." She took another deep breath as her name was called, so she let go of Jay's hand and went to the stage. Once up there, she looked into the audience and caught Jay's wink, making her smile. She took one more deep breath and began performing the small piece of Twelfth Night she had prepared for the audition.

When she was done, the people doing the auditions didn't show any emotion and thanked her, calling the next person up.

Lonnie quickly scurried down to Jay who immediately wrapped his arm around her. "That was amazing. I mean, I didn't understand a word you said, but it was amazing."

"I thought I was just someone prancing around and faking."

Jay shot her an annoyed look, "And I changed my mind. That was really good."

Lonnie smiled, "Thanks. Casting is up tomorrow. Come on, let's go. I need pizza."

"I knew there was a reason I'm dating you," Jay said, smiling.

Lonnie winked at him and the two of them went to the cafeteria to grab some pizza, which was luckily on today's lunch menu.

That night, Lonnie could hardly sleep due to the excitement. When the paper went up that morning, she was one of the many who crowded around to see what part they got.

"Hey, look. I'm Malvolio!" Doug commented excitedly, as he saw his name. He then pushed everyone out the way to go tell Evie.

Lonnie laughed and waited patiently when there was a sudden scream of outrage.

"I'm an UNDERSTUDY?!" It was Audrey, "This is not acceptable!" Lonnie was shoved out the way by a perfectly manicured hand with bright pink nails as Audrey stormed off to demand what happened. Lonnie finally made it to the paper and nearly screamed when she saw her name. Jay was waiting for her a little way out of the way of the massive crowd of people and was nearly knocked over by Lonnie who came running at him and flinging herself at him.

"I got the part! I'm going to be Viola! She's like the main character!" Lonnie said excitedly.

"That's my girl!" Jay replied, wrapping his arms around her.

From there, everything was a flurry of activity. Audrey sulked for most of the day as she was Lonnie's understudy ("I'm not even the understudy for Olivia!" She had mourned, as she thought she was much more suited to that role). Mal could be found in the art room painting all the backdrops with everyone else who had agreed to do the backdrops. Evie was found grabbing any cast members, including understudies, and taking down measurements so that she could make sure the costumes fit. Carlos and the rest of his team had begun setting up the sound and light system, Jay was already transporting props and such that were needed for rehearsals, Jane was running around trying to make sure that all cast members were freeing up their schedules and noting down the days that certain cast members just couldn't make it. Everyone was doing something, even if it wasn't their official job in the role of making this play happen. Even those who were just going to be watching the play were helping their friends rehearse before rehearsals the next day.

Sometime during the day, everyone working on the play received a copy of the script. Jay was confused as to why he received one but accepted it anyway, knowing he may be able to help Lonnie with her parts if he had it. He didn't get a chance to look at it till the end of the day as he'd been running around all day, helping build sets and props, and constantly carrying around boxes, whether it was boxes of small props that were going to be used or boxes of material that Evie was going to need.

Finally, he and Lonnie were sitting down in her room, her lying on her stomach on her bed and him sitting on the floor, his head against the edge of the bed. They were reading over the script, looking at Viola's many lines. When they got to the near end of the script, however, Jay yelled in shock and anger.

"What the hell?" he demanded.

Lonnie looked at him, "What?"

Jay looked over at her and pointed out a stage direction, _'Orsino kisses Viola'._

"Artistic interpretation," Lonnie replied, "I mean, they've changed it a little so that we have a better idea of what we're doing, there aren't many stage directions in Shakespeare."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it," Jay replied, "What the hell is this about another guy getting to kiss you?"

"Oh my goodness, Jay, please," Lonnie said, planting her face in the bed before looking at him again, "It's acting. It's normal. Besides, they just got engaged, what else would they do?"

Jay didn't look happy.

"You know those kisses won't mean anything to me? It's just acting," Lonnie told him. "And, if it would make you feel better, I'll kiss you for every time I have to kiss the guy playing Orsino."

Jay considered this, "How about five kisses?" He said, with a cheeky grin.

Lonnie gave him a look, "Two. And if you try to bargain with me, I'll go back down to one."

Jay pouted, "Fine. Can I get an advanced payment?" He said, grinning up at her.

Lonnie laughed, "You know that means that I won't have to kiss you after kissing the other guy in rehearsals?"

Jay pouted again, "Mean."

Lonnie laughed, "How about I give you one as a 'sorry you had to read that' kiss?"

Jay was grinning once more, "I can accept that."

Lonnie giggled and leaned down, cupping his chin, lifting it slightly, and gently taking his lips with her own.

She pulled away from him and smiled, before turning back to her script, leaving Jay smiling up at her for a few seconds longer.

"Mind if we start going over my parts?" Lonnie asked.

Jay nodded, "Sure."

He turned to the beginning of the script and the two of them began going over Lonnie's parts together.

The next day was the first rehearsal. Lonnie performed her parts with Jay and the other handymen in the background, putting up frames that the backgrounds would be nailed on to.

Much to Jay's disappointment (and relief at the same time), they didn't rehearse the kiss scene that day. But he made sure to come to every rehearsal after that.

After the first full run-through of the play a few weeks later, Jay waited off to the side for Lonnie to finish.

When it was over, she came backstage to see Jay waiting there, smirking. It was the first day they rehearsed the kiss scene, so Jay was very happy, to say the least.

Lonnie walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Hey," She said smiling before pecking his lips.

"Hey," he responded.

Lonnie pecked him again before removing her arms and walking away.

"Really? That's all I'm getting?"

"We agreed on two!" Lonnie responded as she left backstage. Jay rolled his eyes and grinned before going after her.

Jay caught up with her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I think it's mean that you won't kiss me unless you kiss him," Jay commented.

"You made the bargain," Lonnie reminded him, leaning into him.

Jay raised an eyebrow, "You're the one who said you'd kiss me after every time you had to kiss him."

Lonnie hummed in agreement, "I did. But you tried to bargain with me, so I figured it meant those were the only ones you wanted." She grinned at him, "Or at least until after the show."

Jay looked at her with a slightly miffed pout, making Lonnie laugh and pat his cheek, "You'll live babe."

Just as Jay was about to reply, Evie came over to them, "Lonnie, there you are!"

"Here I am," Lonnie agreed, "Why?"

"Dress rehearsal's start tomorrow and yours is the final costume. I just need to make sure they fit perfectly. And while we're at it, we may as well do a fitting for your dress for the dance." Evie took Lonnie's hand and began to drag her off, meaning Jay had to remove his arm.

"See you later, babe!" Lonnie called over her shoulder as Evie dragged her off.

"Bye," he responded, silently laughing at Evie's determination.

Evie finished up with the costumes and then pulled out a beautiful, reddish-brown dress with a mermaid skirt and a semi-sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves.

"Well?" Evie asked, showing it to her, "What do you think?"

Lonnie smiled, "You've outdone yourself again, Evie. It's beautiful,"

"You are going to knock the breath right out of Jay in this," Evie told her, "He won't be able to keep his eyes off of you."

Lonnie blushed slightly before trying on the dress. Evie went around fixing the hem so that it was hanging around her ankles and ensured everything else was perfect before standing back and nodding appreciatively. "Perfect!" she declared.

Lonnie smiled and got changed quickly, before taking the dress from Evie and paying her. "Thanks, Evie. You're the best."

Lonnie brought the dress back to her room and hung it up in her closet, out of the way until the dance.

The next day was the dress rehearsals. Jay watched from the wing, a look of pride on his face as his fierce-some warrior took the stage, performing her part with such power that he knew that she had been the correct choice. After the rehearsal, Lonnie walked up to him, smiling. As soon as she was off stage she began removing her accessories and headed to her dressing room, which was hers and the girl who played Olivia for the duration of the production.

"You're incredible, you know," Jay told her as they walked to her door, "I don't think I could ever get bored of watching you perform."

"Changing your mind about actors then?" She said as they stopped.

Jay shrugged, "Well, about you being an actress."

Lonnie laughed and opened the door, heading in.

"Hey, don't you owe me something?" Jay said as she put her accessories in the jewellery box.

Lonnie laughed before approaching him and wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning in to kiss him gently. "You can get the other one later. Right now, I want to get this gunk off my face and this dress off."

"I could help you with one of those things," Jay said, suggestively, earning him a smack around the head, "I was kidding!" He threw his arms up in defence.

Lonnie laughed, shaking her head, "I'll see you later, babe." And with that she closed the door, leaving Jay outside.

When she exited, makeup removed and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, tying her hair back in a ponytail, she was surprised to say Jay waiting for her.

"Oh, hey. I didn't expect you to wait," Lonnie told him, voicing her surprise.

Jay smiled, "Well, I did. Come on, I want food."

Lonnie laughed and wrapped an arm his waist, Jay doing the same to her. The two of them made their way to the cafeteria, smiling.

Most of the conversation within the group was about the play, telling about the funny rehearsal stories and expressing nerves and/or confidence about the play. Reassurance was handed out in bucket-loads and excitement was amped up severely.

At the end of the day, Jay decided to be a gentleman and walk Lonnie back to her room.

"Goodnight," she said, once they got to her door. She turned to go in but Jay grabbed her waist and spun her back to kiss her firmly on the lips.

"You still owed me one," he told her, winking.

Lonnie shook her head, smiling before going into her room and closing the door behind her.

The next few days passed by in a blur and soon Lonnie was pacing her room with nerves after the final dress rehearsal. The play was that night and only now did the nerves hit her. She wasn't sure if she was going to do good or if she was going to end up messing up the whole production for everybody or-

"Lonnie, chill, seriously!" Her train of thought was interrupted by her boyfriend who was lying on her bed as she paced up and down, "You're making me dizzy with all that pacing."

She shot him a glare, "I have to get the nervous energy out somehow!" she exclaimed, frustration growing.

Jay got up and grabbed her shoulders, "Lonnie, you have no reason to be nervous, okay? You're going to do great."

"But-" She was cut off by Jay putting his hand in front of her mouth.

"Nope, don't want to hear it. Come on, let's go for a run. Get the energy out. Then we'll back in time for you to have a shower before dinner, then you can eat to give you the energy to perform and then you will kick ass and show those drama kids exactly why you were chosen."

Lonnie removed his hand and nodded, still holding his hand, "Okay. Yeah, you're right. Good idea."

Jay pressed the hand that was holding his to his lips and winked at her before going to his room to put some work-out clothes on whilst she did the same.

Lonnie waited outside his room until he was ready to go and the two of them set off to begin running around the campus. Turned out that the run was exactly what she needed, air rushing past her, music playing in her ears, feet pounding under her, Jay's presence by her side. After the run, a quick shower and a decent meal (which her friends had to remind her was necessary), Lonnie found her way backstage and was sitting ready for the first scene. There was a knock on the door, which Lila, who was the girl playing Olivia, answered.

"Lonnie, it's for you."

Lonnie got up and went to the door. It was Jane, standing with a clipboard at the ready.

"Hey, Jane, what's up?"

Jane handed her a tiger lily with a note attached to it. "I think you're boyfriend has been spending too much time with mine," she commented, "He never struck me as the kind to buy you flowers."

Lonnie laughed as she took it, "Well, it's nice all the same. See you at the dance later?"

Jane nodded, "Yep. I gotta go make sure everyone else is ready. Good luck you two!" And with that, she departed.

Lonnie smiled at the flower, sniffing before checking the note: _Go get 'em, tiger._

Lonnie let out a laugh, causing Lila to look at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Dumb puns to calm me down," Lonnie replied, putting the lily on the table.

"Okay people, curtain in five! Get ready!" The drama teacher was calling out.

Lila and Lonnie looked at each other, wishing each other luck before heading to where they were supposed to be.

When the curtain rose, Lonnie forgot all her nerves as she began performing. It was like dancing. Once you begin, you forget everything else and just focus on the moves.

The play was over faster than she expected and suddenly she was standing in line with her castmates as they all took a bow. She spotted Jay clapping harder than he'd ever seen him clap, grinning brightly. This made her grin even bigger as they left the stage. She quickly got changed before running out to greet everyone, including her grandparents and parents, her dad had gotten time off of work just to see this. She flung herself into her dad's arms as her family doted on her and told her how proud they were. Soon, Jay found his way to them, after talking to his other friends.

Shang had immediately clasped a hand on Jay's shoulder, letting him know that he was practically part of the family now and he regarded him so.

"I wouldn't have been able to do this without your support, Jay," Lonnie told him when her family had gone to catch up with old friends.

Jay shrugged, "I support you, no matter what. Within reason, of course."

"Of course," Lonnie replied, "Come on, we need to get ready for the dance."

"Ah, ah, ah!" He pulled back to him, "You still owe me."

Lonnie smiled and brought his lips to hers for a long kiss, "Better?"

Jay smirked, "Yup."

Lonnie smiled back before running off to her room to get changed, Jay going to his own.

With the dance in full swing, Jay was stood with some of his team-mates, laughing and joking about when Brendan whistled, "Damn, Jay. Your girl looks good."

Jay turned around to see Lonnie coming into the ballroom with a few of her friends. Her dress fit her perfectly, hugging her in all the right place, her makeup was minimal, with just a bit of gold eyeshadow and lipstick that matched her dress as well as a bit of mascara, her gold strappy heels were reflecting the lights of the ballroom, and her hair was up in a braided bun which sat behind her head. She grinned at Jay when she spotted him looking. She bid her friends goodbye and headed over to him.

"Woah," was all he could say when she reached him.

"Good woah or bad woah?" Lonnie asked, grinning as she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Good woah. Very good woah." Lonnie laughed at Jay's star-struck appearance. She quickly swept over his appearance.

"Not bad yourself," She replied, looking at the simple brown blazer on top of a white shirt and brown trousers to match.

Jay grinned, "I try."

He held out his hand, "May I have this dance?"

Lonnie took his hand, "You may."

He led her to the dance floor, where they danced the night away, sometimes moving to dance in groups and sometimes just the two of them.

Afterwards, the two of them walked back to Jay's room. Jay opened the door and they both walked in, Lonnie collapsing on the bed. "Ugh, so tired!"

Jay laughed, "Well, I can walk you back to your room if you'd prefer."

Lonnie looked at him for a few seconds before shaking her head, "Nah. I'm good."

Jay shoved her over so that she wasn't taking up the whole bed before kicking off his shoes and laying down next to her. Lonnie pushed herself to him and lay her head on his chest.

"It's been a good day," She said, smiling.

Jay hummed in agreement before looking at her with a twinkle in his eye, "I believe you still owe me a kiss."

Lonnie smiled up at him, "I guess I do." She leaned up and kissed him gently. Jay's hand found it's way to the back of her head, Lonnie resting hers on his chest. They parted, smiling. Jay searched her eyes before kissing her again, with a little more passion this time. One turned into many and soon it turned into a full-on make-out session.

Then the door opened.

"Oh come on!" The voice of Carlos cried out.

 **Here you go MelMartinezXOX. I hope it was everything you wanted and more!**

 **Request Counter: 27**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Yay! So happy you liked them! And as for the Jonnie story, who says it's a ring ;) Thank you so much for being patient with me and my sporadic writing schedule. I appreciate it so much**

 **Giraffes.1: Thanks!**

 **Grace: Glad you loved it!**

 **xez2003: It's nice to be back and I missed you guys too! And of course, why wouldn't it be Bal ;)**

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 **PotatoGirl: I'm so happy you liked it! A lot of time went into that one XD**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	86. Change (Jonnie)

It was a warm day in Auradon, not quite hot, but still warm enough that people were wearing short sleeves and shorts. Students were talking and laughing as they lay about on the lawn or chucked a frisbee about. The sound of an excited bark could be heard as the son of Cruella De Vil tossed a ball for his dog to fetch. A group of giggling girls lay on towels nearby watching the dog and his owner, talking about how adorable to two were. Suddenly, the girls began giggling harder, nudging each other as the best friend of Carlos came over to him and began throwing the ball further for Dude to go after.

"Impressive, Jay," Carlos said sarcastically, "What are you trying to do? Kill my dog with exhaustion?"

Jay laughed, "Well, what can I say? I'm a better shot."

"Stronger. I'm more accurate," Carlos replied, watching as his dog finally came racing back, ball in his mouth.

"It's fetch! You don't need to be accurate for fetch," Jay said.

Carlos pulled a face at him before smiling and chucking the ball again for Dude to go after.

"Hi, Jay!" A chorus of voices said behind the pair.

Jay smirked at Carlos and turned around, "Hey ladies," he said to the group of girls who wiggled their fingers at him.

"Come join us!" One of them called. Jay shrugged at sat down at the edge of their group, chatting with them and flirting a little. The girls were constantly blushing and giggling, the ones closest to him continuously touching his arm.

Carlos rolled his eyes at his friend before deciding to race his dog down the lawn, dodging people as he went. Well, most people.

"Oof!" Carlos felt himself be cushioned from the fall by a body underneath him.

"Ow," it groaned, "You know, you'd think for a runner on the tourney field, you'd know how to not crash into things."

Carlos immediately knew who it was without needing to look. "Sorry, Lonnie." He stood up before offering her a hand so that she could pull herself off.

"Yeah, yeah. You will be in training next week." It was the final training before the big match that was on the following Saturday. R.O.A.R season and the school year were both drawing to a close. Auradon Prep were all hyped for the final match of the season.

Lonnie brushed some grass off of her pink and teal sun-dress and inspected her bracelets to ensure they didn't get damaged in the fall. Once she decided they were okay, she smiled at Carlos.

"So, what are you up to today? Aside from knocking down innocent bystanders."

Carlos laughed and shrugged, "Just hanging around, I suppose."

"Cool," she replied, "Hey, have you seen Jay?"

Carlos nodded and waved a hand behind him, "He was chatting to a whole bunch of girls last I saw."

Lonnie laughed, "Well, I'd better go make sure they haven't torn him apart yet."

The two of them laughed before exchanging a high-five and going their separate ways.

"Later loser!" Lonnie called as she headed towards where Jay was sat.

"See ya sucker!" Carlos replied.

Lonnie silently laughed, shaking her head. As soon as she spotted the group of giggling girls, she smiled and went to sit down next to Jay.

"Hey," Jay greeted when he spotted her.

"Hey, babe," Lonnie replied, sitting herself down, stretching her legs out whilst crossing them over and leaning on her hands.

Jay turned back to the other girls and grinned at them as they continued to flirt with him. Lonnie rolled her eyes mentally and zoned out, her mind wandering to other places, such as what was on the lunch menu today and whether she did okay in that test in one of her classes yesterday.

Eventually, she zoned back into what was going on around her, and she had to admit, what she heard did sting a little. Jay was flirting back with the girls. Obviously, she knew that he had flirtatious tendencies and that if he was doing whilst she was there, it most likely didn't mean anything but it still hurt a little and she still struggled with it. She did her best to ignore it and not let her hurt show and she seemed to manage well as nobody seemed to notice it.

Eventually, Lonnie checked her watch and cleared her throat to get Jay's attention.

"Jay, we're supposed to meet with the others in the cafeteria for lunch. You coming?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah, obviously. Let's go." He stood up and offered his hand to Lonnie who took it and pulled herself up. Her arm wound around his waist and his went around her shoulders. Jay bid the group of girls goodbye with a small wink before he and Lonnie went to the cafeteria.

Lonnie began to think about the flirting and began to wonder why it stung. She knew she could trust him. She knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. She knew that those others mean nothing to him but still. Seeing them crowd around him like a flock of birds really annoyed her. They all knew he was taken but they kept going after him. Maybe they were trying to show that they'd be a better match for him. And what if Jay decided that one of them was too? That would leave her the pathetic heart-broken girl whilst he was happy with a different girl. But she could trust him. Although, she knew it was not in his control whether or not he fell for someone else. Obviously, he wouldn't cheat on her but if he was in love with someone else then he would break-up with her. Of course, there isn't someone else, she knows that but seeing those girls all around him just means that all she could wonder is what if he decides there is someone better and leaves her for one of the girls who is always flirting with him. And it wasn't so much them flirting with him as much as him flirting back because if he can flirt with girls that easy then maybe he could fall for them that easy. Okay, she knew that this was a bit ridiculous but she struggled with it. A lot.

"Lon? Lonnie? Lonnie!"

Lonnie snapped out of her thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you okay? I've said your name like five times," Jay replied, "You were really out of it."

Lonnie shook her head, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?" He prompted, raising an eyebrow, smirking.

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "If you're trying to get me to tell you that I'm thinking about you, you got another thing coming. I am not inflating your ego any more than it already is."

"So you were thinking about me," he replied, "I mean, how could you not be?"

"Very easy, I have other things like class, homework, training, other friends, family, my future, my past-"

Jay cut her off with a laugh, "Okay, I get it. You're in denial."

Lonnie rolled her eyes, "Someone remind me why I date this guy?" She said to no one in particular.

"Because you love me," Jay replied with a wink.

Lonnie laughed and shoved him lightly, "Sure."

Jay wrapped his arm around her shoulders again and pulled her into him, causing her to laugh and roll her eyes again before wrapping her arm around his waist.

The duo made their way to the cafeteria, smiling lightly. After taking their lunches, the two sat down with their friends, chatting, laughing and enjoying one another's company. As they were doing so, a group of girls passed by, all giggling like maniacs.

"Hi, Jay," Several of them called out, as they passed by.

Jay smirked at them, "Hey."

The girls giggled again and tottered off, leaving many of the friends around the table shaking their heads and laughing. Lonnie laughed as well, even if it did hurt her a little. She didn't know why it bothered her so much. It was just a bit of harmless flirting. It wasn't like he was cheating on her. The group of girls seemed to have been forgotten fairly soon afterwards by everyone else, but for some reason, it stuck in Lonnie's mind and she just couldn't get rid of it, no matter how much she wanted to.

After a while, people began to disperse, leaving for their various things they had planned for the afternoon. Lonnie sat in silence for a while whilst a conversation went on around her before standing up.

"I have something I need to do," she said as she leaned down to kiss Jay briefly on the lips, "See you later."

The group bid her goodbye and Lonnie headed out, going straight to the girls' dorms. She went over to the bookshelf and looked into the spout of the ornate lamp that sat there.

"Jordan? Hello?" She called down.

There was a cloud of magic and Jordan appeared in front of Lonnie.

"Hey, what's up?" Jordan asked hands on hips.

"I want to take you up on that offer for a make-over," Lonnie said.

Jordan looked her up and down with a smirk, "Why don't you step into my office and I'll see what I can do?"

A few minutes later, after Lonnie had explained her reasoning behind wanting the make-over and Jordan had snapped her fingers, the two girls were stood in front of Jordan's full-length mirror, admiring her handy work.

Lonnie was now dressed in a short black skirt that made her legs go on for miles, paired with a blood red tube top and a black leather jacket that stopped just below her ribs. On her feet were a pair of black heels that looked like they could kill a man by just stepping on him. Her make-up high-lighted all her best features as well as made her look dark and dangerous, with her smoky eye-shadow and her blood red lipstick. Her hair was in a side braid, carelessly tossed over one shoulder.

"Wow," she exclaimed, running a hand down her braid.

"Damn girl, you look hot. You must be some of my best handy-work yet. And I'm pretty good at this stuff," Jordan said, looking her friend up and down.

Lonnie smiled, "You think this will work?"

"Hell yeah! Can I get a few pictures of you for my vlog first?"

Lonnie nodded, "Sure."

She posed for a few pictures before bidding Jordan goodbye and wishing herself out of the lamp.

Taking a deep breath, Lonnie decided to go find Jay and show off her new look.

On her way back to the cafeteria, Lonnie got a few wolf-whistles and a lot of stares, which made her smirk and confidence grow. She walked straight through the cafeteria when she saw that her boyfriend wasn't there and saw Mal and Evie sitting outside.

Many mouths dropped open as she sauntered by and Lonnie couldn't help but enjoy it just a little bit. When she got to her friends, they all did a double-take when they realised it was her.

"Lonnie?" Mal asked, shocked.

She smiled and nodded, before sitting down next to them. "Yep."

"Okay, what the hell did Jay do?" Evie asked, "Because if he did something stupid, like break-up with you, I will personally make sure he regrets it."

Mal laughed, "E, you don't have a violent bone in your body."

"Tell that to the pirates back on the Isle," Evie replied, smiling jokingly.

They all shared a laugh before turning back to the issue at hand, "But seriously, what did he do?" Mal asked.

"Don't worry, Jay didn't break up with me," Lonnie reassured them, "I just fancied a change."

Mal raised her eyebrow, "Okay, we all know that none of us believe that so drop the act and tell us the truth."

Lonnie sighed, knowing she should have known better than to lie to these guys.

"Okay, you want the truth? I'm getting tired of Jay's flirting. I know it means nothing and I know it's just part of who he is, but it hurts you know? Lately, I've been afraid that the flirting might turn into something more."

Evie and Mal gave her sympathetic looks, "Oh, Lonnie, you know he'd never do that to you."

Lonnie sighed, "I know, but I've thought about talking to him about it and I feel like if I do, I'm just going to come off as possessive and jealous, so I thought I could show him what it's like."

"He's going to kill any guy who tries to flirt with you," Mal replied, "But, I have to say, it's a genius plan. Might even help him work on his jealousy problem."

Lonnie smiled, "Seems like a win-win, right? Unless he breaks up with me for flirting with someone else. Have I just made a terrible mistake?"

Mal and Evie immediately shook their heads, "No, I don't think he'd be willing to give you up that quickly. I think the worst that could happen is a big fight that requires us locking you two in a room together again," Mal reassured her.

Lonnie nodded, "You're right. Okay, just don't let on that you know this is a scheme."

"You can rely on us," Evie promised.

Lonnie smiled her thanks before getting up, "Oh, and if anyone asks, I owed Jordan a favour."

Mal and Evie nodded, understanding.

Lonnie said goodbye before wandering off in hopes to find Jay.

"What in Auradon?" Lonnie cringed when she heard the voice behind her. She took a deep breath before turning around and smiling.

"Hey, Gege. What's up?"

Li'l Shang sputtered, gesturing to her, "What's up? What are you wearing?"

"Clothes," Lonnie replied with a little shrug.

"Clothes? You'd be lucky if you could call all that a piece of cloth! Go change, immediately."

Lonnie glanced around, noting a few eyes turned their way before rolling her eyes and huffing at her older brother, "Dude, I can wear what I want. You might be named after him, but you're not Baba."

Li'l Shang crossed his arms, "And what would Baba say if he saw you right now?"

The two were attracting attention from four or five bystanders now. "It doesn't matter, because he isn't here. Look, I'm just doing a friend a favour. And I like this look. I think it's cool."

"Meimei-" Li'l Shang started to say.

Lonnie cut him off, "I don't care, Gege. Leave me alone." And with that, she turned on her heel and kept walking in the direction she was originally headed.

Lonnie walked on for a bit before she finally spotted Jay. He was sat with a group of his friends, mainly tourney team-mates, under the shade of a tree. She smirked to herself and headed over to him. His friends spotted her first and they began lightly punching Jay's arm and gesturing to her. Jay gave his friends a confused look before turning his head and seeing Lonnie. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped as she strode over. Lonnie sat herself down next to him and grinned widely.

"Hey, babe!" She said, kissing his cheek, "So, what are you boys talking about?" She put on her best flirty smile as she looked at all of them.

They all vaguely answered her, each with a slightly flirty comment of their own (except for Carlos; he didn't even know how to flirt so there was no chance of that happening). Lonnie turned back to Jay and gently pushed on his chin, as his mouth was still hanging open slightly. "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies," she told him, smiling.

Jay gulped a little before smiling back at her. "Sorry. You just...you look amazing."

"Thanks, babe," She replied before turning back to the group of boys and starting up a conversation with them.

As the conversation went on, Lonnie got more and more flirty with the boys, even going as far as lightly touching the arm of the guy next to her when proclaiming he was 'so funny' (although she avoided the girly giggle. She still had _some_ dignity left). Lonnie could feel Jay getting a little mad next to her but she was surprised at how well he kept his cool. Anger management classes must have done him some good.

After some time, Jay eventually took Lonnie by the elbow and asked if he could talk to her alone. Lonnie nodded and stood up, allowing Jay to lead her away from the boys.

"Lon, what made you feel the need to change?" Jay asked once they were alone.

Lonnie glanced down at her outfit and shrugged, "I look good. Don't you like it?"

"Don't get me wrong, you look _killer_ in that but it's just..." he trailed off, looking unsure.

"It's just what?" Lonnie prompted.

Jay went red in the ears as he said his next words, "Not you."

Lonnie cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

Jay took a deep breath before speaking again, "Lonnie, you could look good in pretty much anything and you look really good now but it just doesn't seem right. I know I know nothing about fashion or clothes or anything but I always knew you valued comfort over style and it just seems so unlike you to wear something like what you're wearing now because you just seem so uncomfortable. You really don't need to change your looks at all. I don't know if you were just feeling insecure about your looks or something but Lonnie, you're beautiful, no matter what."

Lonnie had to admit, she was kind of shocked. Jay wasn't a very wordy person, preferring action over words. He didn't tell her that he loved her very often, but chose to display it in other ways. This was probably the first time that he'd ever described her a beautiful. Usually, he would say she looked 'amazing' or 'fantastic' or 'killer' as he had just now; sometime he would only be able to say 'wow' but never had he called her beautiful. Lonnie obviously knew that that didn't mean he didn't think she was beautiful, but to hear him say it stirred something in her. Maybe she didn't need to try and show him how all the flirting felt because that was all it was. Flirting. It was clear now that Jay loved her unconditionally and wouldn't ever leave her. Not when he'd just said something so raw to her.

Lonnie felt herself nearly tear up, "Jay, you think I'm beautiful?"

"Are you kidding me? I'd be crazy not to! I mean, even when you've just come back from the gym and you're sweating and out of breath, you still look gorgeous to me because I know that you work hard and for some reason that makes you look even more beautiful."

Lonnie smiled brightly at him before attacking him with a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck as he caught her in his arms. After a few seconds, Lonnie pulled back and wiped away the few tears that escaped.

"Come on, I want to get out of this stuff," Lonnie said, before taking his hand and leading him to Jordan's lamp.

"Hey, Jordan?" Lonnie called down.

"Rub the lamp and come on in, Lonnie." Lonnie rubbed the lamp and entered, Jay still holding her hand.

"I'm guessing you want me to undo my little bit of magic?" Jordan asked. Lonnie nodded making Jordan roll her eyes, "Well, you look way better this way but I guess I could give you your old outfit back."

She snapped her fingers and Lonnie's face was clear of make-up again, her clothes back to her blue t-shirt and jeans, her hair cascading down her back again and her shoes replaced with her white trainers. Jay smiled as he saw his girl return to the way she should be.

Lonnie thanked Jordan and then she and Jay left again. As the two of them walked down the hall towards the student lounge, Lonnie finally spoke up.

"I wasn't feeling insecure about my looks." Jay looked at her curiously, "I was feeling insecure about us."

Lonnie wondered if Jay was going to now leg it as feelings and that sort of thing really aren't his thing but to her surprise, he just kept looking at her.

"You're going to think this is really stupid but I've been feeling insecure because of your flirting lately. It's disturbing me more than it should. It's like I have a little voice in the back of my head telling me that if it's that easy for you to flirt, it'll be that easy for you to leave me. And I know it's stupid but it kinda consumed my thoughts for the better part of the morning and I acted impulsively and hoped to get back at you by flirting with others."

Jay shrugged, "Well, I guess that makes sense. You shouldn't be worried though. Those other girls don't mean anything to me. You'll always be my number one."

Lonnie smiled. "Thanks, babe."

"Well, now that all that's out of the way, want to go piss off Carlos?"

"Is that even a question?"

And with that, the two of them ran off to find their friend who was about to be incredibly unfortunate for the rest of the afternoon.

 **Sorry this took so long guys. My heart just wasn't in it. I hope it's still okay, IDon'tEvenKnow**

 **Request Counter: 26**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: (chapter 84) Thanks, glad you liked it. (chapter 85) Happy you enjoyed it.**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so happy you enjoyed it! And don't worry, it may have been a ring (chapter 84). That was left for you guys to imagine whatever you want it to be, lol. X**

 **Grace: Glad you enjoyed it (and thanks for putting up with me tonight. You're the best, girly!)**

 **EroSlackerMicha: Lol, I'm happy you enjoyed it.**

 **Jasper quartz: Actually, in Chinese culture, a woman doesn't take her husband's name but rather keeps her father's.**

 **BobCat: Yep, poor Carlos indeed.**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	87. Brown-Eyed Envy (Jonnie)

The weather forecast predicted a large storm coming Auradon's way. This was a rare occurrence as weather was usually perfect in Auradon. Citizens were warned to stay inside as much as possible but were also reassured that the weather had nothing to do with the villains on the Isle this time, as it was just a storm, which did happen every few years. Cold wind began blowing in from the north, shaking trees and almost blowing over anyone who was in the streets. As the storm picked up and the rain began to fall, students of Auradon Prep were banned from leaving the building until the storm had blown over.

For one incredibly active girl, this was officially a nightmare. She hated being confined inside (even if inside was a massive castle) and she missed her morning runs. Due to all of her pent-up energy, more often than not, you'd find her in the amphitheatre, practising her leaps; in the gym, working out more than normal; or in one of the dance studios, practising her hip-hop moves. Occasionally though, she would sit still long enough to sit with her friends in one of the student lounges.

One particularly bad day, she was sitting in the student lounge, near one of the fireplaces whilst the wind blew strongly outside and the rain poured violently. Her boyfriend sat next to her, arm around her shoulders.

"This is getting ridiculous," she whined, leaning her head on Jay. "I want to go out."

Jay chuckled at his girlfriend, "Come on, it's not the end of the world. We just have to stay inside for a bit longer."

Lonnie glared at him, "If I have to stay inside any longer, I might actually flip someone."

Jay rolled his eyes laughing, "How about we head to the amphitheatre?"

"It's not R.O.A.R season," she muttered, dejectedly.

"Which is why it will be empty," Jay argued, "Besides, practice is always good for you. And I'll let you flip me."

Lonnie smiled a little, "It's no fun if you let me flip you. Although, we both know I'm going to whether you let me or not."

Jay rolled his eyes, "Okay, we'll see about that."

Lonnie sat up, "Come on, let's go."

"Eager much?" Jay joked before getting up with her. After going to their individual rooms to change into R.O.A.R gear, the two of them met up and began heading to the amphitheatre, jokingly smack talking each other as they went.

Somehow, they found themselves facing each other, pulling their masks down and going for it. Jay and Lonnie lunged, parried, hacked and dodged. The sound of grunts and swords clanging was interrupted by the occasional "Is that all you got?" and "You're way too predictable!".

In the end, Jay ended up without a sword, hands in the air, as Lonnie held her sword to his chest, pulling off her mask in the process.

"I win," she said simply, before throwing her sword to the side and shaking out her arms.

Jay pulled off his mask and smirked, "I guess you did," he said simply.

Lonnie looked up and raised her eyebrows. There was no witty comment, no quip, and that made her nervous. What was he going to do?

She found out very soon when he suddenly charged at her and pulled her down to the ground. They fell, a tangle of limbs, both laughing. Soon they found themselves rolling around trying to pin each other down. Since Jay was much stronger than her, Lonnie eventually got tired and surrendered.

"All right, all right, you win," she proclaimed.

"I am undefeated." Jay got off her and helped her up.

"You fight dirty," Lonnie fired back.

Jay smirked, "What can I say? I was raised a VK."

Lonnie rolled her eyes and grabbed his shirt lightly, smiling innocently. Jay raised an eyebrow with a suggestive smile. Lonnie grinned back at him and suddenly pulled him forward and judo flipped him.

"And yet, you keep your guard down," she replied, one knee on his chest.

Jay laughed, "Well, with a girl like you distracting me, what can I say?"

Lonnie shook her head and released him, stepping back and letting him get up. Jay stood up and smiled at her.

"So, we done for today?" he asked.

Lonnie nodded and went to grab her forgotten sword and mask, Jay following suit. They collected their stuff and began heading back to their rooms. They passed many people, all finding ways to entertain themselves whilst being stuck inside. They dodged the robotics club who were racing their remote controlled cars down the hall and had a near miss with an explosion in the chemistry room, which led to the science club to all come out, a cloud of smoke following them.

"Okay, who left Seamus on his own with the chemicals?" Mr Deley demanded, waving the smoke out of his face.

Jay and Lonnie laughed as they headed down the corridor. They were greeted by a few friends along the way and stopped to chat to Mal who was in one of the art rooms with a few of her fellow painters. They spotted Doug with the band, all cleaning their instruments after another band practice and said hello to Evie who was waiting outside the classroom, texting someone as she waited for her boyfriend to done. They passed the computer rooms, where Carlos was working on his programming. Finally, they reached their dorms. With a smile, the two parted ways, Lonnie going into her room and Jay heading to the boys' dormitories. As Jay left his room after dumping his stuff and changing out his gear, he nearly crashed into Jane, who was just about to enter the room.

"Hey, Carlos in there?" she asked.

Jay shook his head and directed her to the computer room where he'd seen him. Jane departed with a quick "Thank you". Just as he was walking away back to the student lounge, Ben emerged from his own room, looking way too tired.

"Council meeting?" Jay questioned.

Ben nodded, "Even harder over video chat. The connection kept timing out and not everyone could work it properly. It was more of a nightmare than normal."

Jay sympathetically patted Ben on the shoulder and the two of them made light conversation as they made their way to the student lounge.

When they entered the room, Jay was not happy with what he found. Lonnie was sat with another guy, and they were laughing together. That was okay but what Jay didn't like was the way the other guy seemed to be checking out his girl. Jay headed over to them and sat down next to Lonnie, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She turned to him as he did so, greeting him happily. Jay leaned forward and pecked her lips quickly, before leaning back against the sofa and giving the other guy a meaningful look that very clearly said: "Back off".

Lonnie didn't seem to notice and kept talking to the guy she was sat with, not bothered by how tightly Jay was holding her. Ben had sat down across from them and was joining with the conversation, occasionally shooting Jay looks that read "Calm down". Soon, others began to join them, some of them Ben and Jay's tourney team-mates, some of them from the R.O.A.R team, and some of them were part of Ben, Lonnie and Jay's friendship group. Eventually, the guy that was talking to Lonnie originally left and went to his own friends. Jay relaxed slightly and began joking about with his friends. However, Jay couldn't help notice how flirty some of the guys were with Lonnie and determinedly kept his arm wrapped around her, not willing to let her go.

Eventually, dinner time rolled around and everyone began heading to the cafeteria. All the way there, Jay kept his arm wrapped around Lonnie and glared at all the guys who tried to speak to her. He didn't understand why Lonnie enjoyed these people's company. They clearly looked at her like a piece of meat and only wanted to flirt with her. He didn't need those people anywhere near Lonnie. But he couldn't say anything as he had a feeling that Lonnie wouldn't share these views.

As everyone sat around and chatted, Jay made sure that he emphasised that Lonnie was his wherever possible, referring to her as "my girl, Lonnie" as opposed to just "Lonnie". She didn't seem to notice so Jay kept at it, giving pointed looks to the flirts that were among them.

After dinner, Jay was about to follow Lonnie with some other guy who was trying to flirt with her, when Evie and Mal stopped him and pulled him back into his seat. Everyone else had left so it was just them at that their table.

"Okay, I don't know if it's being cooped up inside for days but you are acting way more possessive than normal," Mal said, getting straight to the point, "I'm pretty sure that Lonnie didn't even have room to breathe."

Jay shrugged, "It seems that being stuck inside makes people think that they can flirt with my girl. They need to know who she belongs to."

Evie held her hands over her face in annoyance before dropping them, "Okay, A, Lonnie is not an object so she doesn't belong to anyone and B, people flirt with her all the time. How are you only noticing now?"

"Besides, what does it matter?" Mal chimed in, "It's just a bit of harmless flirting. Everyone does it."

"Yeah, well they shouldn't. She's taken. They need to back off." Jay stood up, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find my girlfriend."

Evie and Mal both rolled their eyes in annoyance as their friend left them. Jay decided that the girls had no idea what they were talking about. He wasn't acting possessive, he was just making sure everyone knew that Lonnie was _his_. That's not possessive…right? But they were right about one thing, guys did seem to flirt with Lonnie all the time and it felt like she flirts back a lot as well. Jay found himself in his dorm as opposed to the student lounge and he lay back on his bed, frowning at the ceiling.

Carlos entered his room and immediately groaned. "Come on, man. Can you stop being so jealous all the time?"

Jay glared at him, "Not jealous of anything," he replied, determinedly.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Sure you're not. So if I say that Lonnie is in the student lounge chatting and flirting with another guy, you're not going to get mad?"

"What does it matter?" Jay said, "I'm just really 'possessive' so she'll probably find someone better anyway."

"Yeah, definitely not jealous," Carlos replied, rolling his eyes. He plugged in his laptop and began uploading his new program from his USB stick into the hard-drive. As the two of them sat in silence, there was a knock on the door and Lonnie walked in.

"Carlos, out. Jay, we need to talk," Lonnie said, sitting down on the foot of the bed. Carlos obeyed without comment, which was unusual, and left the two alone.

Lonnie sighed before beginning, "So, Evie and Mal pointed something out to me."

Jay sat up, "Let me guess, I've been acting too possessive?"

Lonnie chuckled and nodded, "A little. Jay, you really need to stop worrying. If I flirt with others, it's not intentional, and no one is going to steal my heart from you, okay? They can flirt as much as they want, but I'll always be your girl. You just need to calm down and stop glaring at everyone."

Jay smiled, "Sorry?"

Lonnie laughed again, "Seriously, I don't want to be the girl with the scary boyfriend."

Jay's smile widened slightly with amusement, "Okay, I'm sorry. But seeing you with those other guys… I don't know. There are so many better guys for you-"

"Okay, stop there," Lonnie told him, "I don't care what other guys there are, I chose you. So you can stop the jealousy and the possessiveness because I chose you. That's all that matters."

Jay smiled, "I guess so."

"So you have one up on every other guy. You're my choice. They're just a bunch of guys who can try and fail to take my heart away. It's pretty set on you."

Jay smiled and leaned forward, capturing her lips gently with his own. Lonnie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When they parted, Lonnie smiled at Jay, "How about we stay in here for the rest of the evening? I feel like a movie night."

"I'm down for that," Jay replied. They selected a movie they both love and spent the rest of the evening watching their favourite movies, cuddled up next to each other, arms firmly around each other.

 **Here you go RockThat. It's not my best piece of work, but I really hope you enjoyed it anyway.**

 **Request Counter: 25**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I am so happy you loved the oneshot and thank you for always being there and trying to support me in my writing even when you're struggling so much yourself. I appreciate you so much and don't know what I'd do without you.**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: She did look hot, but I don't think it was comfortable for her so she chose not to keep it. And yeah, poor Carlos. But they love him, so it's all in good fun. I'm so glad you loved the chapter!**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	88. Expecting Something New (Jonnie)

It was a chilly winter morning in Auradon, and the people of the said city were wrapping scarves around their noses and scraping frost off their car windows.

In one apartment near in the city, a young woman was just done fixing up a special breakfast for her husband, whose birthday was that day. He was still asleep in the other room, having had a late training session that night. She swept her long black ponytail over her shoulder just before she began to place the breakfast on the plates and the plates on a tray. When she heard the coffee machine finish its job, she smiled and poured a cup of coffee, adding it to the tray before picking it up and bringing it to her room. She carefully opened the door with some skill and made her way over to her husband, who was still sleeping peacefully. She carefully lay the tray down on the bedside table and then crawled over the bed to his side and leaned down, kissing him gently. He stirred under her and his hand came behind her head, holding her down for a few seconds longer. Giggling, Lonnie pulled away and smiled down at Jay, whose eyes were now open and was smiling back at her.

"Hey," he said, a small smirk on his face, "I have to say, definitely my favourite way to be woken up."

Lonnie rolled her eyes, still grinning, "Well, it's your birthday so I figured I'd treat you," she replied with a wink, "Happy birthday, babe."

Jay smiled at her, "Thanks."

"I brought breakfast," Lonnie added, grabbing the tray full of bacon, eggs and pancakes.

Jay sat up properly, "Now we're talking."

Lonnie laughed and put the tray on his lap before sitting next to him and grabbing her plate. The two began to eat, chatting about work and other things that needed doing.

"I'm working from home today, so I'll be here when you get back from training," Lonnie told him, as she reached for her tea.

Jay nodded in understanding, "Okay, cool. As long as your not throwing me some sort of surprise party."

Lonnie rolled her eyes, "I do it one time, and you will not let me forget it."

"It was two years ago."

"I said I wouldn't do it this year and I didn't. It'll just be you, me and a nice dinner."

Jay smiled at this, "Thanks."

Lonnie smiled back, "I know you don't like your birthday being a big deal, so I won't make it one. But," Jay groaned at this, making Lonnie smack his shoulder, "I did buy you something."

Jay shook his head lightly, "Okay, let's see."

Lonnie reached under the bed and pulled out a blue package. She handed it over to Jay, who put the tray aside and opened the gift, revealing a brand new watch.

Jay smiled, "Thanks Lon, it's great." He kissed her gently before getting up, "But I have training soon so I'd better get out of here."

Lonnie nodded and began clearing up. As she was doing the dishes, Jay emerged now fully dressed, new watch strapped to his wrist, his duffel bag slipped over his shoulder. He kissed Lonnie goodbye, slipped on his shoes and headed out, off to tourney training.

As soon as he was gone and the dishes were washed, Lonnie let out a small puff of air. She had one more present to wrap and wanted to wait until he was back from work to give it to him. She couldn't wait to give it to him.

The day went by quite quickly due to how concentrated Lonnie was on her work. She'd managed to get all her work done for the day half an hour before Jay was due to home so she spent that time doing anything to distract herself, her excitement growing with every passing minute.

Finally, Jay got back, looking tired and slightly worn out. Lonnie had him sit down on the sofa and rubbed his shoulders lightly. "I have something for you," she told him before running off to get it. Lonnie returned and bounced onto the sofa with a big grin, handing him the small box.

"Lonnie, come on," Jay replied, a slight smile, "I thought I said I didn't want much and you've already given me something."

Lonnie shrugged, still grinning, "I know but this one is special."

Jay narrowed his eyes, "What is it?"

"Open it and find out!" She was practically bouncing up and down as Jay laughed and undid the bow before opening the box.

"What is this?" Jay asked, pulling out the white stick that lay nestled between the yellow tissue paper.

"A pregnancy test," Lonnie replied, excited, "We're going to have a family, Jay."

Jay dropped the test back into the box. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her.

Lonnie nodded, "Yeah," she hesitated at her husband's tone and facial expression. "Aren't you happy? You're going to be a father."

Jay stood up, rubbing his face with one hand, "I don't think we're ready to have a kid," he said shortly refusing to look at her.

"We've been married three and a half years, Jay. Now is as good a time as any. I know it's going to be different and maybe even difficult at first, but we're going to learn together." She stood up slowly and placed her hand on his shoulder, "We're going to be okay, Jay. Besides, I thought you wanted this. I thought we agreed that we wanted a family," she reminded him, running her fingers gently through his hair.

Jay shook his head, "That was before it became a reality. We can't have a kid, Lonnie." He turned to look at her, "Think about it. Neither of us knows anything about being parents, I've got training most days so I wouldn't be able to look after it, meaning you'd probably have to leave your job just to look after it, and then, of course, you can't work when your heavily pregnant so you're going to stop working till it's born and then for some time after that because you'll need to look after it and you love your job, so leaving it will kill you. Not to mention, I'll be an away so often because of away games, I'll be an absent father," Jay spoke quickly, his gestures getting wilder as he spoke, "No child should have to suffer that. And even if I wasn't absent, I may as well be because I'm not cut out to be a dad!" He took a deep breath and looked at Lonnie, whose arms were crossed and had a frown on her face.

"Well, I'm pregnant now so there is nothing we can do about it." Her face softened. "Worrying isn't going to help anyone. We'll make it work. Together. Because we're a team." She put her hand on her flat stomach, "All three of us."

Jay shook his head. "I need to process this." And with that, he was out of the house, throwing his jacket on as he left.

Lonnie didn't know what to do and just sat on the sofa, wondering how it all went so wrong so quickly.

"Daddy will love you, I promise," she told her stomach, "He's just a bit scared. He'll come back and he'll realise how amazing it is." She felt like she was trying to reassure herself more than anything (which she probably was). She seriously hoped that Jay would come to his senses and come back. She hoped that he hadn't walked out on her for good.

Meanwhile, Jay's feet took him towards a trusted friend. He didn't even realise he had been walking that way until he was opening their gate and heading to their front door. Jay knocked quickly, desperately hoping they were home. He heard some shuffling and some voices behind the door.

The door opened to reveal a heavily pregnant Jane and a slightly peeved looking Carlos.

"Hey, Jay. Happy birthday!" Jane greeted smiling, whilst Carlos came up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Jay," he said, "Come on in. And you, missus," he said, turning to his wife, "should be sitting down."

Jane gave him a look. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she snapped before huffing and going to the living room to sit down anyway.

Carlos rolled his eyes and stepped back so that Jay could come in. "If Lonnie ever gets pregnant, be careful. Hormones can make them have quite the temper. Happy birthday, by the way."

Jay smiled a little, the irony not lost on him, and went into the living room to sit down.

Carlos followed, looking concerned.

"Judging by the look on your face, this is no social call," he commented.

Jay shook his head, "Yeah, sorry. I just didn't know where else to go."

"What's wrong?" Jane looked at him worried.

Jay took a deep breath, "Lonnie's pregnant."

Jane gasped in delight, "Really? Oh, yay! Congratulations!" She stood up and went over to him, giving him an awkward side hug (pregnant belly made hugs from the front difficult) and smiled brightly.

"Wow," Carlos exclaimed, "You, a dad. Congrats. You two must be so excited. How come she didn't come with you to announce the news?"

"She doesn't know I'm here. Well, she probably does, knowing her. Well, she probably will guess that I am, knowing her, but I just needed someone to talk to about this. I mean, I can't be a father. Look at the only person I've got to compare myself to. Jafar." He spat his dad's name.

Before Carlos could say anything, Jane piped up. "So you walked out on her? You got scared so you decided you weren't going to talk to her about this, you were just going to up and leave, leaving her pregnant and alone? Jay, at least you have someone to compare yourself to. You know how not to be a father because of your dad and you have Li Shang to talk to! You should feel lucky! Carlos is running in blind because he doesn't have a father or a father-in-law! So get your act together, get out of my house and go to your wife!" She pointed to the door, her face serious.

"Come on, I'll walk you out," Carlos said, standing up, "And you," he pointed at Jane, "sit down and calm down. Anger won't be good for the babies."

Jane huffed and sat down. Carlos then took Jay by the arm and marched him out.

"Well done, Jay. You worked up my pregnant wife and could have caused stress because you were too scared to think about the possibilities of having a kid. Jay, go home. Talk to Lonnie. And pull yourself together. No one is properly ready to be a parent, ever. It's a process you learn after the child is born. And I've got a lot of learning to do because I'm having two any day now."

"When did you get so wise?" Jay commented with a slight smile.

Carlos rolled his eyes, "Our best friends are already parents. Do you really think I didn't ask them for advice? Especially after I learnt we're having twins?"

Jay smiled, "I guess that makes sense. I'd better go before Jane comes out here and throttles me."

"Hey, that's my wife you're talking about," Carlos replied, "Now go. Talk to Lonnie. Make things right."

"Carlos, they're kicking!" Jane's delighted call came from the living room. Carlos's face broke out in a grin and he headed back into the living room, leaving Jay alone. Jay opened the front door and stepped out, walking towards the gate. He glanced over his shoulder towards the living room window and saw Carlos and Jane grinning brightly, their hands on Jane's swollen belly. Jay watched as Carlos kissed Jane deeply before bending down to seemingly talk to the bump. Jay couldn't help but stare at how they seemed. If Carlos, who used to be afraid of everything, could stick by his wife and go into fatherhood with a smile on his face, then maybe he could do the same. He had an apology and a confession to make. So he ran. He ran all the way home, back to where his wife was waiting for him, reading a book in the living room.

"Lonnie?" He burst into the flat, panting slightly as he did. Lonnie jumped and stood up facing him.

"You're back." She sounded relieved and disbelieving all at once.

Jay nodded "I'm sorry, Lon. I am so sorry."

Lonnie smiled and rushed over to him, flinging her arms around his neck and pulling him to herself. Jay wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he could. Lonnie pulled back and punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he protested.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, mister. I was worried sick. I was afraid you may have walked out on me." Lonnie slapped his chest for emphasis after every sentence. Jay caught her hand and squeezed it.

"Lon, I make some stupid decisions, but even I'm not stupid enough to walk out on you. I wouldn't do that. Ever."

Lonnie smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "Don't you ever leave me like that again."

"I swear, I won't." He rubbed her back, resting his cheek on top of her head before sighing. "I have a confession to make, Lon."

Lonnie pulled back, "Go for it."

Jay took Lonnie's hand and led her to the sofa, sitting down with her facing him.

"I'm terrified, Lonnie. I'm terrified that I'm going to be my father and that I'm going to mess this kid's life up. There is nothing I want more than to start a family with you, Lon, but I'm scared that I'm going to ruin it."

Lonnie took a deep breath and leaned forward, grabbing Jay's hands.

"Jay," she began, "I'm scared too."

Jay looked at her, shocked.

"Don't look so surprised. It's not like I've ever had a baby before. But this is going to be something that we'll discover together, with the help of our friends, all of which are already parents. We're going to make mistakes but we're going to learn from them and we're going to make sure that this little one has the best life we could possibly give it."

Jay smiled and nodded, "Okay."

He leaned forward and hugged Lonnie, wrapping her tightly in his arms before kissing her full on the mouth. They pulled apart and sat back, Lonnie wrapping her arms around Jay's chest, laying her head over his heart, and Jay leaning against the back of the sofa, holding her close, his arm around her shoulders. They stayed like that for a long while, neither saying anything. Somehow, their hands ended up linked together sitting over her stomach.

A little while later, the phone rang, bursting through their bubble that hid them from the outside world.

"I've got it," Jay said, standing up. He went over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Jay, Jane's gone into labour. We're at the Auradon City Hospital. They want all of us to be here when the twins are born." It was Evie. She'd clearly taken on the responsibility to call everybody so that Carlos could focus on Jane.

"We'll be over as soon as possible." Jay put the phone down and turned to Lonnie. "The twins are on their way."

Lonnie jumped up, "Well, would you look at that. You and the twins will share a birthday."

Jay rolled his eyes and hurried her out of the door as the two of them rushed to the car.

Turns out, Lonnie wasn't actually correct on that matter. Jane was in labour for forty-six hours, so when the twins finally entered the world, it was two days after Jay's birthday. But they were beautiful.

Mal, Ben, Doug and Evie stayed as long as they could but they had small children of their own to attend to and unfortunately, Ben was still king and still had meetings and such (Evie was her own boss, Doug was working from home most of the time anyway and Mal was still on maternity leave as her baby wasn't even a month old). They came back often, Mal usually carrying baby Maesi and Evie usually carrying baby Jonathan, her three-month-old. Lia, Ben and Mal's oldest, was left with Belle and Charlie, Evie and Doug's fifteen-month-old son, was also left with his grandparents. Lonnie and Jay called in sick and stayed the whole forty-six hours, sleeping in uncomfortable waiting room chairs and eating café food, ensuring to bring some to Carlos and Jane as well.

Luckily, all six of their friends (and two of the four children) were there when the two little boys were born. They all stood in Jane's private room, Jane holding one of the babies and Carlos the other. Jane had tears streaming down her face as she stared at her little boy. "He's so beautiful," she whispered.

"So," Ben spoke up, "Do they have names?"

Jane nodded, wiping her face, "Yeah. This is Joe, and that's Luke."

Everyone smiled at the little ones and Evie cooed gently at Luke who slept in his father's arms.

Lonnie glanced at Jay, who was smiling at the family and their happiness. She nudged him gently so that he turned his attention to her, and silently asked him a question. Jay smiled and nodded.

"Well, I guess whilst we're all here, me and Lonnie should tell you something."

All heads turned their way, Carlos and Jane with knowing smirks on their faces. Jay took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Lonnie's waist. "Lonnie and I, we're uh...we're-"

"We're expecting a baby!" Lonnie interrupted, too excited to hold it in any longer. Evie and Mal squealed and ran over to hug her whilst Doug and Ben held back, each holding their youngest in their arms. After hugging Jay as well, each girl took their respective babies off of their husbands so that they could properly congratulate their friends as well. Carlos and Jane just smiled, Carlos rocking Luke back and forth gently and Jane holding Joe close as he grabbed her pinky.

Evie looked at the new parents with raised eyebrows. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Jay may have had a freak out that involved coming to our house and telling us he was too much of a wuss to be a father," Jane replied, smiling down at her son.

Jay glared at her, "Thanks for that, Jane."

Lonnie laughed and patted her husband's arm. "It's okay, babe. It's not the end of the world."

Jay smiled at her before the attention was turned away from them and to little Joe, who had begun crying. Jay and Lonnie watched as their friends tended to their children, knowing very soon that that would be them and they would have a family of their own. And as scary as that was, it was amazing at the same time. They just couldn't wait.

 **Here you go, veroandlegolas. I have been looking forward to writing this for ages. I hope you enjoyed it!**

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 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	89. Words I Never Thought I'd Hear

The night was silent save the occasional hoot of an owl or chirp of a cricket. Auradon was slowly going to sleep, lights in the suburban area slowly going out one by one until the only lights left on were the street lamps and the lights of a particular couple who were just woken up by their crying child.

The mother of the said child was tiredly leaning on the doorframe as her husband hushed his five-year-old, rocking her back and forth gently and rubbing her back slowly. Their daughter sobbed into his shirt, whimpering as she held onto him.

"I'm scared, Daddy," she confessed, as Jay held her closer.

"It's okay, Comet. It was just a dream. It can't hurt you."

Slowly, Kamryn's sobs quietened and released her hold on her dad. Jay slowly laid her down again, tucking her in gently.

"Daddy, will you and Mommy stay with me?" Kamryn's small voice came. Jay smiled gently and nodded, stroking his daughter's hair.

"Of course, baobei," Lonnie said, moving from her spot in the doorway and going over to Kamryn's bed, perching on the edge of it, next to Jay who leaned forward and kissed Kamryn's forehead. Slowly the small eyes closed and Kamryn was fast asleep. Jay and Lonnie carefully stood up and headed out, Jay making sure to not close the door completely. He turned to Lonnie who smiled at him tiredly and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Jay wrapped his arms around her as well and the two of them just stood there for a while.

"Jay, I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Lonnie said after a little bit, pulling back to look him in the eye.

Jay furrowed his brow, "Okay, what's up?"

Lonnie gently bit her lip, "I think Kamryn should meet your dad."

It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Jay got over his shock, "What?!" Jay all but yelled

"Shhh!" Lonnie gestured to the door behind them where their little one was fast asleep.

"You want her to meet Dad?" he demanded, his voice now a whispered yell.

Lonnie shrugged, "Come on, Jay. It's in a protected area. And he's so old now, he probably won't try anything. Besides, Kamryn deserves to meet her grandfather. And if this goes well, we can go back, actually have a relationship with your dad. And if it doesn't, she'll probably forget about it soon and we never have to go back."

"So let me get this straight," Jay replied, "We just had to comfort our little girl after a nightmare and you decide to tell me that you want her to meet the source of _my_ nightmares?"

"Jay, please," Lonnie began before she was cut off by Jay walking away toward their room. Lonnie sighed and followed him, "Jay, come on. Kamryn has a great relationship with my parents. I want her to have the same relationship with your dad."

Jay whipped around, "Do I have to remind you what he did to me? He abused me, Lonnie. He took his failures out on me and because of that, I wasn't allowed to be a failure. This is what he did to me if I was." Jay pulled up his shirt to show the white scar on his stomach, which caused Lonnie to wince and close her eyes.

"I know, Jay," she replied opening them again, "I know what he did to you and it makes me so angry every time I think about it but maybe this is a chance for you to fix it with your dad. For you to forgive and stop harbouring this hatred for him. He's still your dad."

Jay sat down on the bed, "Lonnie, I don't think it can ever be fixed. He destroyed my life. I was nothing more than a tool so that he could sit around and cheat people out of their money."

Lonnie sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. "But he got better. Less angry, less violent. You told me that. Maybe now he's so much better."

Jay's thumb began moving on its own accord tracing patterns on the back of Lonnie's hand. "He got lazier," he replied, "But maybe he is better. Or maybe he's worse. He's probably still angry at me for leaving him."

"Jay, that was sixteen years ago," Lonnie replied, "I'm sure he's not angry any more."

Jay shrugged, "I just don't know, Lon. What if we end up risking Kamryn's life?"

"There are guards around the building. They will check Jafar for weapons or anything that could be a weapon, and if there is any commotion, they'll come running."

Jay nodded. "Okay. Fine. We'll go. Just know I'm only doing this because I love you and because Kamryn has the right to know who her grandfather. I'm not happy about this."

Lonnie smiled at him and leaned forward, kissing him slowly. "Thank you," she said, earnestly.

Jay smiled lightly. "Come on, let's get some sleep. I'll book the space in the morning."

Lonnie nodded and the two of them crawled back into bed. Lonnie was asleep a long time before Jay and he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind whirring. He wasn't sure how much of a good idea this was, but Lonnie was right. There was a building installed just in the barrier for this reason. Eventually, he also managed to fall asleep and he slept till the morning came.

Jay woke to the sound of Lonnie's alarm going off, making him groan lightly. He heard his wife chuckle and felt her hair on his face and neck as she bent down to kiss his cheek. "You'd better be out of bed by the time I get back from my run."

Jay cracked open an eye and turned to face her. "We have a hyperactive five-year-old. Do you really think I'm going to be able to stay in bed for long?"

Lonnie giggled and got up from the bed, walking around it to grab her running gear from the wardrobe that was a metre from the foot of the bed. Jay watched her for a few seconds, sitting up, before getting up and grabbing himself some clothes. He didn't have work today, as it was summer holidays so school was out. As coach of the tourney team, he didn't need to do much work outside of school hours, so he was able to be home with Kamryn during holidays, meaning Lonnie could work without having to worry about babysitters.

Jay tied his hair back in a low pony-tail and opened his curtains. As usual, his neighbours were already in their garden, tending to the plants as they did every morning. He spotted Lonnie run by them, waving as she did so. He wondered if they knew what it was like, to fear someone the way he used to fear his dad. His dad admittedly did get more and more pathetic as he grew older, but Jay still had nightmares about when he wasn't fat and lazy. When he got angry quick and would get violent. Jay subconsciously ran a hand over his scar on his stomach.

Jay shook out of his stupor when he heard the patter of little feet, knowing that it meant Kamryn was up and was going to see if Jay was up to make her breakfast.

"Morning, Comet," greeted Jay when Kamryn burst into the room.

"Breakfast? Please?" Kamryn requested, ignoring what Jay said. Jay chuckled and nodded.

"Go sit down, I'll give you breakfast in a minute, okay?"

Kamryn nodded before racing out. "Don't run in the house!" Jay called after her, although he knew that that had probably fallen on deaf ears.

Jay took one last look outside, wishing he, like his neighbours, wasn't aware of the some of the horrors in this life. He had a feeling that when Kamryn was older, he'd have to tell her but he wished he could keep her this young and innocent forever.

Turning away from the window, Jay walked around the bed and out of the room. Heading downstairs, Jay couldn't help but notice some of the photos hanging along the stairs. Some were of him and Lonnie, him and Kamryn, Lonnie and Kamryn or all of three of them. Some were of them with friends or family. Her family. Never his. Well, never his biological family, anyway. Jay only had his dad, his aunt and his cousin (who unfortunately chose evil). Jay was stopped by a photo of Kamryn with Shang and Mulan. It was her first birthday and they'd gifted her this beautiful, red and gold cheongsam, which she'd looked so sweet in. They were on either side of her, smiling brightly as she sat between them, giggling and clapping her hands. Her little bit of black hair was in a little pony-tail on top of her head and her brown eyes were shining with a joy that Jay had never seen anywhere else before, the pure, innocent joy, completely unaware of any hardship or toil that was going to face them in the world. Jay sighed and kept moving down, knowing that his daughter was going to be facing a lot of hardships in this world. He just hoped his father wasn't one of them.

Kamryn was at the kitchen table, swinging her legs back and forth as she patiently waited for her dad to make her some breakfast. Jay smiled at her and kissed the top of her head, which made Kamryn whine and wipe her head. Jay chuckled lightly and poured some cereal and a glass of milk before going about making him and Lonnie some breakfast as well.

When Lonnie came in from her run, Jay had already made them both some porridge and was sitting next to Kamryn as he listened to her childish ramblings and the two of them ate.

"Hey, babe," Lonnie greeted, taking her earphones out and leaning down to untie her shoes.

"Hey," Jay replied, "Good run?"

"Always," She replied, removing her shoes and placing them on the rack next to the door. She sat across from Jay, where he'd placed her breakfast.

"Hi, Mommy!" Kamryn said, smiling, a milk moustache on her face.

"Oh, so Mommy gets a hi and all I get is a demand for breakfast," Jay joked, smiling at his daughter.

Kamryn stuck her tongue out at her dad. "I'm done, can I leave the table now?"

"Hold on there, Comet," Jay said, gently wiping the milk moustache off her face. "Okay, you can get down. But don't run and play quietly. Daddy has some work to do."

Kamryn nodded and left the kitchen, walking quickly, but obeying his dad and not running. As soon as she was out of sight, Jay and Lonnie heard her pick up speed and run up the stairs.

Jay sighed, "She's going to end up getting injured."

Lonnie chuckled, "And then she'll see why we tell her not to run in the house. She's too young for a real sense of danger to be instilled in her head."

"I bet you were worse," Jay replied, a playful twinkle in his eye.

Lonnie let out a short, disbelieving laugh, "Says the guy who was probably already an expert thief at her age."

Jay put his hands up, "Guilty."

Lonnie gave him a tight smile and kept eating. Once done, Lonnie took the dishes and began washing up whilst Jay got on the phone to the Isle Visits Comity, IVC for short.

"Hello? Hi, my name is Jay Jafar." There was a pause. "Yes, that's right." Another pause. "Sixteen years." Lonnie's brow furrowed at this, wondering why how long he was off the Isle mattered. "Possibly. I don't know how angry he was when with me when I left." Ah. That made more sense now. "Less in later years." Another pause. "Yes, I want to bring my wife and my five-year-old daughter." Lonnie placed the final bowl on the rack and turned around, looking at him concerned whilst she went to grab the towel. "I think we'll be okay." Lonnie raised an eyebrow at him, which he signalled that he'd tell her later. "Let me just check." Jay went over to the calendar hanging up behind the kitchen door. "No, Thursday works." Another brief pause "Afternoon would be preferable. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. Goodbye." He put hung up and placed the phone in his pocket, "Well, we booked the room for Thursday. We have it all afternoon, so from one onwards."

Lonnie nodded, "We'll go about two or three. Stay a couple hours and then leave again. That way you don't have to spend too much time with your dad. By the way, what did you mean by 'I think we'll be okay'?"

"Oh, because Kamryn is so young, they wondered if we wanted a guard in the room. But I can probably hold him off if he gets violent."

Lonnie nodded, "Okay. I'm going to go get ready for work."

Jay smiled, "Dinner should be on the table by the time your back."

"You're the best. Love you." And with that, she was heading upstairs. Jay smiled and went to Kamryn's room, where she was playing with her cars.

"Hey, Comet. If you want to go to the park today, you'd better get dressed," he commented smiling.

Kamryn smiled at her dad and began finding some clothes to wear. Jay left her alone to get changed and went to the garage to grab some tools so that he could finish up building the bookcase that Lonnie had been asking him to do. The rest of the day passed by quickly and soon Thursday arrived.

Jay found his hands shaking as he walked with Lonnie and Kamryn to where the limo would be picking them up.

"Jay, it's going to be okay," Lonnie reassured him, grabbing a hold of his hand, reassuringly. He smiled at her and nodded briefly.

"I know. It's just...it's been sixteen years, Lon. Sixteen."

"Why didn't you visit him earlier?" Lonnie asked suddenly.

Jay gulped, "Truthfully? I've been terrified. I don't steal any more, I never got the Big Score, I'm probably a massive disappointment."

"What's the Big Score?" Kamryn asked, looking up at her dad, "Is that like when you make an awesome tourney goal?"

Jay chuckled, "Sure, Comet. Something like that."

"But you do that all the time. You were the best tourney player ever!" Kamryn replied enthusiastically. "And I know because I watched all your games as soon as I was old enough."

Jay smiled, "You sure did, Comet. You sure did." Suddenly, thinking about Kamryn standing in the box reserved for friends and family of tourney players, holding up a home-made sign that read 'No.18 is my dad!', covered in tiny paint handprints, Jay felt much less nervous. No matter what happened, Kamryn would never see him in the way he saw his father, and that just made everything so much better.

They got to the limo and Kamryn excitedly scrambled in. Jay climbed in after her and was thankful to see that they didn't provide sweets in these rides. Kamryn was hyperactive enough without sugar. He helped Kamryn strap into the seat and he did his own seatbelt, Lonnie doing the same. She closed the door and tapped the separating window. The limo opened the bridge and drove over it quickly, closing dome behind them as soon as they were over the bridge. Kamryn looked around excitedly throughout the whole short drive. Lonnie and Jay thanked the driver and they headed out. Jay was surprised at what he saw. Rather than looking straight at the Isle, Jay was looking a small, squat building, built with grey bricks and black doors. However, the outside was covered in graffiti, not with the 'Long Live Evil' tags that Mal did but with tags like 'Evil isn't the answer' and 'Good is pretty great'. It was in bright colours that made you want to smile and made you feel safe as opposed to dark colours that brought a sense of fear and danger. Guards stood on either side of the door, each wearing the Auradon colours of blue and gold.

Lonnie began leading the way into the building, holding Kamryn's hand quite tightly.

"Lonnie, wait," Jay said, stopping them, "Let me go in first. Please."

Lonnie sighed but nodded, "Okay."

Jay approached the door and let the guard open up the door for him. He nodded his thanks before entering.

The room was fairly small, but the bright, white walls were covered in motivational quotes and drawings, presumably for the sake of the Anti-Heroes Club, most of whom were quite young. In the centre was a table, with four chairs around it. On the floor was a dark blue carpet and several bean bag chair scattered around everywhere. In the back, there was a television playing the news.

"Dad," he greeted, as he folded his arms.

Jafar was sat in front of him, at the table, a slight smile on his face, his belly bigger than ever and his face even more scruffy. Jay was relieved that he wasn't in his pyjamas for once.

"Jay! My boy!" He stood up to go greet him.

Jay held out a hand to stop him. "Dad I want to introduce you to someone."

He poked his head out of the door and gestured for Lonnie and Kamryn to come in.

"Dad, this is Lonnie," Jay said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders securely, "My wife. And this is Kamryn." He reached down and placed a hand gently on her head, "My daughter. Your granddaughter."

Jafar looked at her with a slight smile before looking up at Jay, his eyes filled with a bit of sadness. "You have a child?"

Jay nodded, "Yes."

Jafar squatted down, smiling at Kamryn. "Hi there, little one. I'm your grandpa."

Kamryn pouted, "I'm not little. I'm five-year-old!"

Jafar acted impressed, "Wow. Such a young lady!"

Kamryn looked up at her mother, "Mommy, can I have my cars now?"

Lonnie nodded, "Of course, baobei," she said, sliding her bag off of her shoulders, "Here." She pulled out a ziplock bag full of toy cars and handed it to Kamryn. Kamryn smiled with glee and sat down, unzipping the bag and pouring its contents on the floor.

Jafar watched his granddaughter playing for a few seconds before sitting down next to her. "Can I play, too?"

Kamryn looked at her parents, questioningly. Lonnie nodded encouragingly whilst Jay just looked slightly uncomfortable and tense. Kamryn turned back to her grandpa and nodded, so the old sorcerer picked up a car and began playing with her.

Lonnie watched for a few minutes, running her hand up and down her husband's back.

"Jay, what's wrong?" she asked, eventually, as he continued to be tense.

"I just...if it was me, he'd be trying to get me to steal them from him and punish me when I didn't manage," he explained in a low voice so only Lonnie could hear.

Lonnie moved in front of him and placed her arms around his neck. "Jay, listen to me. Whatever he did to you, we will not let that happen to Kamryn, okay?" She ran a hand through his long hair, "But you need to let go of the anger you have against him. It won't do you any good and you don't want Kamryn to harbour the same anger."

Jay huffed a little but nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Lonnie smiled, "I know it's hard, but just know that I am so proud of you for trying."

Jay smiled as well and hugged her gently, "You always know what to say."

"I should hope so," Lonnie replied, "I've been with you for the past fifteen years."

Jay smiled, "Best fifteen years of my life."

Lonnie smiled at him, before turning to look at her daughter who was happily playing with Jafar. Jafar made her laugh with his over-the-top playing and dramatic jumps and falls.

Jay couldn't help but smile as well. Despite all his faults, his dad could really make a child smile.

Suddenly, Kamryn's attention turned to the television screen. "Daddy, look! It's you!"

The adults turned their head to the screen, that was displaying Jay's face. Lonnie found a remote and turned up the sound.

"-recently announced his retirement from the tourney field, saying he wants a more steady job and to spend more time with his family."

Lonnie chuckled and turned the TV down again. "It's just about your retirement, again."

Jay smiled, "Well, I did only officially retire last week."

Jafar furrowed his brow and looked over at Jay, "You were a tourney player?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah. I was pretty good at it, too."

"Understatement," Lonnie commented.

"Grandpa, look out, this car is going to crash into you!" Kamryn said, suddenly, dragging her car across the floor and lightly hitting Jafar's knee, making him dramatically fall over.

"I've been hit! Man down! We have a man down!"

Lonnie laughed at her father-in-law. Jay smiled as well, not realising what his father could be like. The two of them watched as Kamryn climbed on to her grandpa, lying on his large stomach, making him dramatically act as though she was super heavy, which left her giggling.

For the next few hours, Jay and Lonnie sat and watched as Jafar bonded with his granddaughter, the two of them playing around together and sometimes dragging the others in to play as well. Lonnie snapped a few pictures of them all playing together and made sure to let Jay know that she was proud of him for being civil with his dad.

Eventually, the door opened and a guard stood on the other side. "Your time is up," he said, "Say your goodbyes and then you'll have to leave. I'm afraid it's getting too dangerous to stay longer."

Lonnie thanked the guard before squatting down by his daughter, "Come on, baobei, time to go home."

Kamryn held her arms to her mother and got scooped up into her arms. "Bye-bye, Grandpa," she murmured, looking over at the old man, before laying her head on her mother's shoulder.

"You and Kamryn go on ahead. I need some time with my dad," Jay said

Lonnie nodded "Okay. Be quick though, okay? Kamryn needs her dinner."

Jay nodded and turned to his dad as his wife and child left the room.

"Let me guess, I should have been using my time stealing from her and her family as she is rich as opposed to falling in love with her and having a family? Or maybe you want to congratulate me because you think that's why I chose to marry her?" Jay said, crossing his arms.

Jafar shook his head, "No, I can see why you married her. She's strong. Brave. Beautiful. And your little girl, well, she seems to be just like her mother. You've done well Jay. I supposed you've found your own Big Score after all. I'm proud of you."

Jay was at loss for words and he gaped at his father who walked out the other door, into the world that was the Isle of the Lost. The guard opened the door again and reminded Jay that he had to go, so Jay left, deep in thought.

Kamryn held out her arms for her dad, who, almost as if on autopilot, took her and placed her on his hip before throwing an arm around Lonnie. Lonnie looked at his face and noticed that he still appeared to be in a state of shock.

"Jay?" she asked as they walked to the limo, which was ready to take them back to Auradon. "What's wrong?"

Jay shook his head, "He said he was _proud_ of me, Lonnie. Proud. Of me. Never once in my sixteen years of living with him did he ever say that to me. Not once."

Lonnie rubbed his arm. "Wow. Did he tell you why? You haven't stolen anything in years and definitely not the Big Score he always talked about."

"He said that I did well because, well, because of Kamryn. He said it was clear that she was my Big Score and so were you."

Lonnie opened the limo door whilst Jay put Kamryn down.

"Well, he's not wrong, is he?" she replied, smiling at him as their daughter clambered into the car.

Jay smiled back. "No. Definitely not." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, causing Kamryn to whine: "Eww, Daddy's kissing Mommy again."

The two broke apart chuckling and went into the limo. After strapping Kamryn into the booster seat, Jay latched his own seatbelt and put an arm around Lonnie, who tapped on the window, letting the driver know they were ready to go. He smiled at his two girls before deciding his dad was definitely right. He did find the Big Score. He fell in love with an amazing woman and together they had a wonderful child. He felt like the richest man in the world.

 **Here you go, veroandlegolas. I really hope you love reading it as much as I love writing it.**

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 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: I am so glad you loved the story. I really loved writing it so I am so glad you enjoyed reading it. Means a lot to me.**

 **Owllover34: Thank you so much! Actually, can I ask a huge favour? Would it be okay with you if Kamryn, Maria, Shay and Tommy became my go to kids if I ever write about the Descendants having kids? I really love your characters and adore bringing them to life. You will get credit every time.**

 **Grace: Ily2. And I am so glad you loved it. Even if it was part of the reason you almost cried.**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	90. Daddy's Day In

The evening rolled around in Auradon, dusk settling upon the city, creating a soft glow in the streets. The people of Auradon slowly began drifting back to their homes and to their families. Restaurants were full of life, with people sitting, eating and laughing together. The bars slowly began to fill up, it being Friday night. When the sun had set behind Castle Beast, Auradon City nightlife had begun. In Castle Beast, servants were finishing their final duties, the kitchen staff having just washed up the final dish and the maids having closed the last drapes. They retired to their rooms in the servants quarters or to the cottages nearby provided for servants with families. As the staff downstairs said their final good-nights, upstairs the king and queen were fighting to stay awake.

"I finally got her down," the purple-haired queen said, sighing as she crawled into bed.

Her husband smiled at her as he gently closed the book in his hands. "Well done, Mal. What was with her today? She's usually down really easily."

Mal shrugged, "I don't know, Ben. They all have their moments." She yawned widely before shuffling down and pulling the duvet over her shoulders. "All I know is that I am definitely exhausted."

Ben chuckled and leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. He was silent for a few seconds before he came up with an idea. "Why don't you go out tomorrow? You and Lonnie and Evie and Jane. You can make it a mummy's day out and me and the guys will look after the kids."

Mal looked up at him, "Are you sure?" She asked, not sounding sure herself, "I mean, taking care of our two and balancing being king won't exactly be a walk in the park."

Ben shrugged, "I'm sure it'll be fine. I have no meetings tomorrow so I can take a day off."

"But what if Maesi loses control of her magic again?" Mal questioned.

"It'll be fine. I know the reverse enchantment-"

"Which you have no magic to use it with," Mal interrupted, "Nor do any of the guys."

"We'll work something out. We'll be okay," Ben reassured her, "You can't baby her like this forever. She hasn't lost control as badly as the first time since so I'm sure whatever happens, we can deal with it."

"I dunno, Ben..."

"Mal, you work so hard and you spend your life trying to balance being a mother and a wife and a queen," Ben reminded her gently, "You deserve a day off."

Mal shrugged, "I don't have it so bad. I have you for most of it and it helps that we have servants."

Ben smiled a little, "One day away from the girls won't kill you. And don't worry, you'll still have a home left when you get back."

Mal sighed, "Fine. Okay, I'll contact the girls now and we'll take tomorrow off." She got out of bed and grabbed her phone from the vanity desk then called up her friends one by one.

"I'd love a day off," Evie had admitted, with the sound of a screaming child and a man hushing said child in the background.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Jane had replied, a yawn in her voice.

"Great idea. I'm sure Jay can cope with Kamryn alone for one day," Lonnie had said, the noise of the news anchors and Jay's snoring being heard through the phone.

Mal hung up and put her phone away, then turned to Ben. "Well, they all want to come. Glad I called them. Not sure if they would've seen the texts."

"I'm guessing they're just as tired as you are?" Ben replied.

"If not more."

"Okay. So you four have fun. Me and the guys will deal with the kids. We're capable, you know. All of us have been parents for at least four years."

Mal smiled lightly, crawling into bed next to him "Yeah, I know. I just don't know how I feel about leaving Maesi at a time like this."

Ben turned on his side and propped his head up with his hand. "Hey, it's going to be okay. It's been a few months and she seems to be slowly getting the hang of it. She's a bright girl."

"Gets it from her father," Mal commented, softly.

Ben grinned and flicked her nose gently, "She gets it from you too." He reached behind him and turned off the lamp before rolling to face her again.

Mal smiled and then turned over, rolling onto her preferred side. Ben wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply before slowly drifting off to sleep.

The castle went dark, save for the night-light in the younger princess' room.

The night wearied on and then the sun rose over the sleepy suburbs, lighting up the green lawns and glistening windows, though most had curtains drawn tightly over them, to block out the early morning sun that threatened to wake these citizens on a lazy Saturday morning. In one house, the sun peaked in through a small gap in the curtains, awakening the couple who slept there. They groaned and huddled closer together, wrapping themselves together, enjoying what they knew were going to be only a few moments of peace before chaos ensued. Suddenly the sound of little voices, followed by the sound of little feet appeared, making the couple sigh.

"They're all yours today," the woman murmured, "Good luck."

Her husband chuckled lightly, opening his eyes and looking at her. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Jane. They're half Fairy Godmother after all."

"Quarter Fairy Godmother," she corrected, her eyes still closed, "And half VK."

He considered this for a second, "Well, you deserve a break from them. You're working way too hard."

She finally began to slowly open her eyes, "I know," she admitted, "And that is why they're all yours today."

Carlos smiled, "You'd better have fun, okay? You deserve it."

"So you keep saying." Jane sat up slowly. "We're lucky they haven't barged in yet."

"Don't jinx it!" Carlos exclaimed jokingly. That being said, the moment the words left his mouth, the door burst open and three hyperactive children came barging in.

"We want breakfast!" four-year-old Joe said, jumping on the bed.

"Mummy, Luke made my dolly look bad!" three-year-old Maria cried, holding up a doll with green hair.

"I didn't mean it!" Luke, also four, defended himself.

Jane looked over at Carlos, "Have fun."

Carlos laughed, "Okay, Joe, stop jumping on the bed, you're going to hurt yourself." The brown-haired boy obeyed and sat down, still whining about being hungry. "Luke, have you said sorry?" Luke shook his head before apologising to his sister with an almost shy 'sowwy'. "Maria, you know that Luke doesn't have control of his magic yet. He won't have done it on purpose. Joe, I will get you some breakfast in a moment, will you please go wait patiently in the kitchen?"

"But Daddy," Maria whine, "Look!" She shoved the green-haired doll in his face.

Carlos took it gently from her and turned to Jane. "Help me out here."

Jane smiled and rolled her eyes gently, "Beware forswear, give this doll back her hair." And with that, blue magic surrounded the dolls hair and returned it to its original colour.

"You two go wait in the kitchen as well. I'll be down in a second," Carlos instructed.

"You sure you're going to be okay with these three?" Jane asked, as soon as her children left the room.

Carlos smiled, "It was just a bit of a spat. And if we have any more magic incidents, I'm sure they can wait, or I can show them how it's not that bad."

Jane kissed his cheek gently, "Okay. I'm going to get dressed, you're going to get breakfast."

"Yes, ma'am," Carlos replied, adding a joking salute. The two got out of bed and began their day as usual. One of them prepared breakfast for the kids, whilst the other got ready. Then, they would swap, with one preparing breakfast for the two of them and the other getting themselves and the kids ready.

Carlos headed downstairs and began pulling some ingredients down. "Okay, who wants waffles?"

"With chocolate sauce?" Maria asked, sweetly.

Carlos nodded, "Of course."

There was a round of agreement so Carlos went about his way, making waffles and putting the toppings on for his kids. The twins dug into their syrup covered ones and Maria somehow managed to get chocolate in her black-with-white-tips hair as she messily ate her waffle which was dripping with chocolate sauce. Jane came down and giggled lightly at the sight before smiling when she saw that Carlos had placed aside a few waffles with whipped cream on top for her.

"Thanks, love," She said, taking her plate and sitting down with her children. Carlos smiled and joined them as well.

Once everyone was finished, and Jane had snapped a quick photo of Carlos and the kids looking a bit messy, Carlos began to clean them up. He grabbed a cloth and scrub Maria's chocolate covered face and managed to get the chocolate out of her hair, before cleaning her sticky hands, then cleaned up his sons' syrupy hands and faces. Once done, he sent them away to go play or watch television. Just as he was finishing off the kitchen, Jane walked in a wrapped her arms around him from behind. "The girls are here. I'm going to head out."

Carlos turned around and hugged her back. "Have fun. Love you," he said, releasing her.

"Love you too," Jane replied, before going to grab her shoes so she could head out. Just as the door closed, screams began erupting from the living room.

"I was watching it first!"

"It's my turn!"

Carlos sighed and headed into the living room before it became a bloodbath.

Once he'd finally settled down the kids, his phone pinged, causing him to huff lightly. He unlocked his phone to find the message _'I'm heading to the park with the girls this afternoon. Would you like to join us?'_ from Ben. Carlos texted back with a quick yes and then got up from the sofa, turning off the TV. There was a chorus of complaints from the little ones but Carlos stopped them.

"We're going to the park this afternoon," he was interrupted by a chorus of cheers, "But," He stopped them, holding up a hand, "Only if you're dressed and your rooms are clean in the next hour. Your time starts...now!"

The three children jumped off the sofa and rushed upstairs, hurrying to grab clothes and get dressed then clean up their rooms as fast as they could.

A little ways away, another castle stood overlooking the sea between Auradon and the Isle. It wasn't a large castle, like most of the other ones, but it was still a castle. With only fifteen bedrooms, it was seen as rather small, but it was perfect for the family of five who lived there. The father of the family was currently helping his two-year-old get dressed whilst trying to get his hyper-active five-year-old to calm down and his slightly less hyper six-year-old to stop roaring as the sound was upsetting his youngest.

Doug carefully pulled a shirt over Ethan's head before finally turning to Jonathan and Charlie.

"Guys, please calm down. We're going to the park this afternoon but not if you two don't behave a bit. Jono, if you want to run around, go do it outside, okay? And Charlie, please stop roaring."

Charlie obeyed and began softly mewing instead, making Ethan giggle. Doug sighed in relief as his blue-haired son went to go play outside on to the large grounds that belonged to the castle, and Charlie began pretending to be a cat, much to Ethan's delight.

With the boys all calm and having fun, Doug sat down for a few seconds, keeping a close eye on them. He hoped that Evie was having fun with the girls.

Soon it was afternoon and in a small house in the suburbs, a good ten minute drive away from the DeVils, a certain ex-thief had just finished making his daughter lunch and was sat down, calming answering her many questions, usually in the form of 'why?'.

"I don't know why Comet. It's just the way it is."

"But why?" Kamryn asked, again, confused.

Jay chuckled and ruffled her long, black hair. "How about you find out and then you can tell me?"

Kamryn thought about this for a second, "Okay."

"As soon as you finish eating, we can go to the park," he told her gently, as she slowly finished off the last few bites.

"All done!" She said, excitedly. Jay smiled and ruffled her hair again before taking her plate and bringing it to the sink.

"Finish up your juice." The brown-haired girl did as she told and brought the cup back to her dad, who took it and washed it up. "Okay, let's go get shoes and jackets on."

Jay grabbed Kamryn's things and gave them to her, allowing her to put them on herself as she was very determined to do. After nearly getting the wrong shoe on the wrong foot (she hadn't quite mastered her left and right, yet) and fighting with her dad about wearing a hat (Jay won), they finally managed to get out the door. With the park not being far, Jay took Kamryn's hand and the two of them slowly began to walk there, Kamryn excitedly bouncing about and pointing at things, questioning almost anything she saw.

"Why are trees green?" was what she was asking when they finally got to the park. Jay shook his head, lightly.

"I don't know, Comet. Oh, look, there's Lia and Maesi! Go say hi," he told her, waving to Ben as Kamryn ran over to Ben's girls, who were playing on the swings.

As the girls began playing together, Jay sat down next to Ben on the park bench.

"No Doug or Carlos yet?"

Ben shook his head, "I'm sure they'll be here soon. After all, they do have to try and deal with three kids each."

Jay chuckled, "True. I have to admit, I don't think I could handle more than Kamryn," he said, looking over at where his little girl was chasing Lia, who was doing a good job at convincing Kamryn and Maesi that she was scared.

Ben let out a short laugh, "Yeah. It can be a handful, having more than one. But I wouldn't trade either for the world."

Jay rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Don't go getting all sappy on me. Leave the sentimental stuff with the others."

Ben shook his head lightly, "You say that, but I'm pretty sure I have you saying that Kamryn was the most perfect thing you'd ever laid your eyes on, on video somewhere."

Jay shrugged, "I may not be sappy, but I'm still a dad."

Just as Ben was about to respond, they heard a scream and a cry coming from where their kids were. Both men whipped their head around to see Kamryn floating a little in the air, looking terrified, and Maesi looking frightened, tears streaming down her face, with Lia telling her that she needed to calm down.

"Oh, shoot!" Ben got up and ran towards Maesi whilst Jay legged it across the playground to grab Kamryn.

Ben crouched beside his purple-haired daughter and quietly whispered words in her ear to stop her from crying and to calm her down. Meanwhile, Jay was holding Kamryn down to stop her from floating up. As Maesi's tears stopped, so did the magic. Once Kamryn was no longer floating, she latched herself onto her dad's waist and held on.

Ben turned to the daddy-daughter duo. "I am so sorry. Her magic is a little all-over-the-place. She's not if full control of it."

Jay nodded silently as a way of telling Ben it was okay, whilst holding Kamryn by keeping an arm around her.

Ben then stood up and picked Maesi up, holding her close as she lay her head on his shoulder, hiccuping a little.

"I'm sorry, Kammy," Maesi said quietly, turning her head so she was looking at her friend, "I didn't mean it."

Kamryn peaked her face out from where it was hiding and smiled. "It's okay. Flying was kinda fun!"

Both girls giggled lightly and Ben put Maesi down again so that she and Kamryn could go play.

"Lia?" Ben turned to his other daughter, "Do you know what happened?"

"They were chasing me and Kamryn caught me and began saying 'I won, I won!' so Maesi got a bit upset and the more magic she did, the more upset she got," Lia explained, "I tried to calm her down, Daddy. I swear I did."

"It's okay, Bear. I know you did."

Lia gave her dad a quick hug before spotting some of her friends and running off to go play with them, her long, honey-brown hair flying behind her as she did.

"They really do grow up fast, don't they?" Jay and Ben turned to see Doug standing behind them, his oldest two having just run off and his youngest sleeping soundly in the stroller.

They greeted him warmly before Ben responded to his question, "Yeah, they do. I mean, Lia's nine already and Maesi will be five next month." The three dads stood in silence for a few seconds.

"Hey, anybody catch the game last night?" Jay said suddenly.

The other two laughed, "With our kids? You really think I have time to stop and watch tourney?" Ben replied, with a laugh.

Jay laughed as well, "Yeah."

"Luke, careful!" came the cries of the fourth awaited friend. They all looked over to where the shouts were coming from to see Carlos trying to stop his black-haired son from nearly getting hit by a bike. Carlos saw that they'd seen him and gave them a small wave, letting go of Joe's hand in the process. The two boys ran straight to the monkey bars whereas Maria was still holding her dad's hand. She began tugging on his shirt because she wanted to go play, so Carlos let go of her hand and watched as his hyper three-year-old ran straight to the small climbing wall attached to the play castle. After a bit, he walked over to his friends.

"Okay, I don't know how Jane does it. I had to stop several wars before lunchtime."

Ben and Doug laughed in understanding whilst Jay just raised an eyebrow. "Do siblings really fight that bad?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah. With the age difference between my two girls, it's a little better, but generally, it's quite common for siblings to fight."

"Yeah, when Jono and Charlie get into it, it tends to take both me and Evie to stop them," Doug said. As if on cue, they heard screams of anger from the play castle. Doug sighed and gave them all a look that says "See what I mean?". Ben took the stroller from Doug so that he could go deal with his fighting kids. Eventually, Doug had to pick up Jonathan and carry him back to the other men, who were all sat down on a bench where they could easily watch their kids.

"Now you're going to sit there until you can promise me that you're going to behave."

"But Charlie-" Jonathan began.

"No, I don't want to hear it," Doug interrupted, "You do not hit your brother."

Jonathan pouted and sat back, arms crossed. Doug sighed and went over to Ethan who had woken up whilst he was dealing with Charlie and Jonathan.

"Hey, buddy," he said, gently, rocking the stroller a little.

"Swin!" Ethan said, waving his little arms about.

Doug laughed and helped him out of the stroller so that he could waddle over to the swings whilst Doug held his hand.

Jonathan tried to leave but Jay stopped him, "Your dad said you need to stay here. You'd better obey him, or you'll just get into more trouble."

Jonathan pouted again but didn't say anything.

"Hey, Blueberry!" Someone yelled, making Jonathan cower back a little. Carlos and Jay both noticed Jonathan's action and Ben heard the yell. They looked over to see a boy about ten grinning like a maniac, approaching them."Where's your mummy, Blueberry? Have they finally locked her up in the weirdo hospital? You should go there too! Because you have blue hair!" The boy laughed, his two friends laughing too.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Wow, I forgot how bad insults were when you're a kid from Auradon."

Jay gave him a look of "I know, right?" before standing up, his arms folded. He stared down at the kid who was nearly in front of them.

"Something you want to say to my nephew?" he challenged. The boys looked at each other scared before the one who was insulting Jonathan shook his head.

"No, sir. We didn't mean anything by it, sir."

"Yeah, you'd better not have. Now scram," Jay demanded. The boys obeyed and ran off. Jay sat down whilst the other two looked concerned at the young bluenette boy who seemed almost on the verge of tears.

"Jonathan, how long have you been bullied like that?" Ben asked, kindly.

Jonathan shrugged, "Don't know."

"Why haven't you told anyone?"

"Told mummy."

Ben sighed, almost inaudibly. "Tell you what, you go play. But don't fight with your brother."

Jonathan looked at him, "But won't Daddy be angry?"

"He can be angry at me. You go play," Ben told him.

As Jonathan ran off, Ben looked at the other two. "He's five and he's already getting bullied? He's only just gotten into school."

"Older boys like to prove they're the boss of the playground," Carlos told him, "So they probably saw him as easy prey to make themselves look big and tough."

Ben shook his head in disbelief, "I cannot believe kids do that to each other. I'm going to talk to Doug. Watch the girls?"

The other two nodded so Ben got up and went over to Doug.

"Why did you let Jonathan go play?" Doug demanded, "I can't discipline my kids if you let them get away with stuff. He needs to know that hitting his brother was wrong."

Ben put a hand up to stop him, "Look, I'm sure he does know that. But did you know that he's getting bullied?"

Doug sighed and nodded, "Yeah. Evie told me. He's really struggling at school because of it but we don't know what else to do."

"Well, some of those bigger kids were picking on him again today. Luckily Jay scared them off, but Jonathan looked pretty upset. I mean, he's five. He shouldn't be getting picked on."

Doug nodded, "I know. I just wish there was something I could do."

"Talk to him? Let him know you're there for him?" Ben suggested.

"I've tried, Ben, but he doesn't listen to me."

Ben put a hand on Doug's shoulder, "He'll get there. Keep trying. Although, don't push too hard. That'll just chase him away."

Doug nodded, "Thanks, Ben."

Ben smiled, "No problem, man."

"Daddy!" Maesi's cry interrupted them.

"And that's my cue." Ben walked away to Maesi, who was stood on an open part of the play castle. "Yes, baby girl?"

"Jump!" Maesi cried, jumping up and down for emphasis.

Ben smiled, "Okay, one, two, three!" Maesi leapt off the platform into Ben's waiting arms. "Yeah!" Ben spun her around. "That's my girl!" He put her down.

"Again! Again!"

Ben laughed, "Okay, again."

Meanwhile, Carlos was being dragged over to the see-saw by the twins and Maria, who wanted to all sit on one end, whilst he sat on the other so that the weight was a bit more even. They all laughed as they went up and down, up and down. Carlos loved hearing his children's screech of delight as pushed himself up on his tip-toes, causing them to all go down, hitting the ground with a gentle bump.

Over by the monkey bars, Jay was stood under a swinging Kamryn, to ensure that someone was there to catch her if she slipped and dropped to the ground.

After a few hours of playing together and making light conversation as they went, the guys finally decided it was time to take their kids home. Ethan was so tired out that he fell asleep before Doug could even get him in the stroller and his other two were complaining about being hungry. Lia got bored after her friends had left so she was pestering her dad to go home for about half an hour but Maesi put up a bit of a fight when Ben told her it was time to go home. Carlos just about managed to round up his three, struggling to get them all into the car. Once they were finally all in, he said his goodbyes then got in the car and drove them all home. Jay had to deal with a crying Kamryn, as she hadn't wanted to leave the park but agreed when her dad promised that it would still be there when they come back next.

Dinner time went down fairly well for Jay, as he had given Kamryn some colouring to do so that she was distracted while he cooked. She ate her dinner without any fuss and then they did a few puzzles together before it was time for her to get ready for bed. Kamryn got into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth before settling into bed, asking her dad for a story. Jay happily agreed and read her one of her favourite storybooks. At her request, Jay checked her room for monsters, showing that it was a creature-free room and finally, he left her room, leaving the door slightly open whilst she went to sleep.

Jay headed downstairs after the bedtime routine and flicked through the channels before settling on something to watch.

Over in the De Vil household, bedtime was far less smooth, although dinner had gone down with only a few complaints. Maria had very stubbornly not wanted to go to bed, claiming she wanted to be awake when Mummy got home. The only way Carlos was able to get her into bed was by promising that Jane would come to say goodnight to her as soon as she got home. Maria finally agreed to go to sleep and fell asleep very quickly. Joe had been suffering nightmares recently so getting him to go to bed was very difficult, as he was afraid of the nightmares that might come, and Luke's magic started playing up around that time so it took a lot of time and energy to get them into bed. When he finally did, Carlos went into his own room and collapsed on his bed, draping across it, feeling exhausted.

Doug was experiencing problems with his kids as well, as Charlie was a picky eater and Jonathan didn't seem to want to eat. Ethan was fairly easy and he went down soon after dinner. Getting the boys to bed after some games was not easy but it wasn't the worst. He eventually managed to get Jonathan to lie down and make a wish upon the star and he got Charlie to get into his pyjamas as he did not seem to want to do even a simple task such as that. To make matters worse though, just before he was able to leave them to go to sleep, the night-light bulb blew in Charlie's room so he had to replace that before Charlie could go to sleep. Once all three boys were asleep, Doug went into his office and sat down to do a little bit of work that needed doing desperately.

Ben found that his girls were simple today, as they both enjoyed the meal the cook had prepared for them and ate quietly without any fuss. Maesi was pretty willing to go to sleep as long as her night-light was on and her room was devoid of monsters. Lia wasn't any trouble, as she basically was able to get herself into bed with no extra help from her dad, although that didn't stop him from talking to her briefly before kissing her goodnight and leaving her room.

Just as he was about to enter his office, Mal appeared around the corner. Ben smiled when he saw her and let go of the door handle. Mal smiled back at him and walked up to him then wrapped her arms around his neck once she got to him.

"Hey," he said, his hands resting on her waist.

"Hey," Mal replied, "How were they?"

Ben grinned, "Angels."

Mal raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Okay, so breakfast nearly ended in a fight and Maesi did not want to leave the playground, but aside from that, they were pretty good."

"Maesi went to bed easy?" Mal's hands moved from his neck to his shoulders.

Ben smiled and nodded, "Well, I had to search the room for monsters, but aside from that, she was fine. And she did have one little magic mishap but we got it under control."

"We?" Mal questioned, looking worried.

"Me and the guys met up at the playground. Maesi got a bit upset about losing a game to Kamryn and accidentally made her float," Ben explained, gently.

Mal put a hand over her mouth, "Oh my goodness, is she okay?"

Ben nodded, "No harm done. She was a little shaken up but that Kamryn is a strong one."

Mal nodded, "Okay. Okay. I'm going to go say goodnight to the girls."

Ben smiled, "Okay."

"Hey, you'd better not go in there," Mal said, pointing to the office door.

"How about I come with you so that you can keep an eye on me?"

Mal smiled and moved her hands from his shoulder, wrapping one arm around his waist, Ben doing the same to her. They walked to the rooms of their daughters' rooms. Mal kissed Maesi gently on the head before leaving the room and heading to Lia's room.

"Hey, baby bear," Mal said, poking her head into the door. Lia jumped and shut off her torch.

"I couldn't sleep!" She defended herself, poking her head from under the covers as her parents walked in fully.

Ben chuckled and shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to either if I was reading with a torch on."

Lia blushed and put the book to the side with her torch. Mal let out a little laugh and went over to her daughter. As Mal talked to Lia, Ben stood by and watched, leaning against the doorframe, smiling at his wife. Fifteen years ago, it would've been hard to imagine her as a mother who cared and loved so deeply, especially for most people. But Ben, he'd always known that she be a good mother one day, even if he didn't acknowledge that thought till a few months before he got down on one knee. Seeing her talking to her daughter, smiling and laughing as she did so, made him fall for her all over again as it reminded him of one of the many reasons that he loved her. Finally, once Mal had gotten Lia to settle down, the two of them left the room, wishing their nine-year-old girl goodnight as they did so. They crossed the corridor to their own room and as soon as they were inside, Ben pulled Mal against him and kissed her gently.

"Missed me?" Mal asked with a giggle after he pulled back.

Ben smiled, "Always. I am so happy that I get to raise these girls with you. They could not ask for a better mother."

Mal smiled back and rubbed his cheek gently, "And they couldn't ask for a better father. Although," she patted his cheek gently, "He's a bit scruffy."

Ben laughed and kissed her cheek, purposely dragging his scruff against her cheek.

"Ben!" She complained with a laugh. Ben laughed and kissed her again, on the lips this time, and went into the bathroom to shave before the two of them settled down to a movie.

Over in Castle Heart, Doug lifted his head when there was a soft knock on his study.

"Come in," he murmured, rubbing his eyes and straightening out his glasses.

Evie opened the door and walked in, chuckling at the sight of her tired husband. "Did I wake you?"

Doug smiled at her tiredly, "Yeah, but that's probably a good thing. Sleeping in my office is not a good idea."

Evie nodded in agreement, also looking amused. "How were my boys?" she asked.

"Well, there was a bit of fighting, Jono ended up hitting Charlie at one point."

Evie sighed, "I wish we could stop their constant fighting."

"They'll grow out of it," Doug promised, "For now, we'll just have to do what we can."

Evie nodded, "You put him on a time-out?"

"Yeah, I sat him with the other guys, as we were at the park at the time, but they let him go back and play because some of the big kids were picking on him again."

Evie looked heart-broken, "Again?"

Doug nodded, "Yeah. But Jay scared them off, so hopefully, they'll back off."

"Scared them off how?" Evie asked, narrowing her eyes.

"From what Ben told me, by standing up and telling them Jono was his nephew."

Evie smiled, "That's enough to scare a grown man," she said with a laugh, "I'd better go check on him. How about the other two?" She asked quickly after she stood up.

"Ethan was easy today, Charlie was picky about his food and didn't really want to go to bed but aside from that and the fighting, they were all right."

Evie nodded, "I'm going to go check on them. You get to bed."

Doug obeyed and headed to the room where he and Evie slept. When Evie got in from checking on their sons, Doug was already in bed, laptop on his lap.

"Doug, please stop working," Evie asked him, as she got ready for bed.

Doug smiled at her, "Okay, I will. I just have one thing that I need to do." He typed a few things into the computer, frowning as did so.

"Doug…," she warned, getting into bed next to him.

"Okay, okay." Doug saved his work and shut his computer off. He then turned to her. "So, how was your day, sweetie?"

Evie smiled, "We had fun. We went to the spa for a bit of pampering, had lunch at a nice restaurant then spent the rest of the day in a coffee shop, having sandwiches for dinner. It was nice to just be with the girls without having to hear 'Mummy!' every few seconds."

Doug smiled, "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

Evie smiled back, "Yeah. But I have to say, I did miss the boys a little."

Doug chuckled, grabbing her hand, "Of course you did."

As Evie laid her head on his chest, Doug couldn't help but stare at her, thanking whatever higher power allowed him to have such a beautiful, strong woman to be the most incredible mother of his children.

A little ways away, Jay looked away from the television as he heard the front door open. Lonnie walked in, looking tired but happy.

"Hey," he greeted, through the open living room door.

Lonnie smiled and removed her shoes, then entered the living room and placed a quick peck on Jay's waiting lips.

"How was she?" Lonnie asked, laying on the sofa next to him, placing her feet on his lap. Jay gently placed a hand on her shins as he replied.

"The usual inquisitive angel she is," Jay replied, smiling, "I swear that girl is stronger than the two of us combined."

Lonnie looked at him, cocking her head curiously.

"There was a bit of magic mishap that caused Kamryn to start floating. I had to hold her down whilst Ben calmed Maesi down," Lonnie looked concerned so Jay continued, "Anyway, as soon as Maesi had calmed down and Kamryn stopped trying to float away, she was a little shaken but then was fine again a minute later."

Lonnie looked impressed, "She gets that from you."

Jay laughed, "I don't think so. You're the strongest woman I know."

Lonnie smiled, "Maybe she got it from both of us." She reached forward and traced a finger over one of his many scars, silently emphasising her point.

Jay gave her a weak smile before settling back to continue watching the game and watching his amazing wife falling asleep out of the corner of his eye.

A short drive away, Carlos heard footsteps coming up his hall but didn't look up, even as Jane opened the door to their bedroom.

"That bad, huh?"

"How do you do it?" Carlos asked, not even lifting his head.

Jane laughed, "Well, there is a reason I need you, you know. How bad were they?"

"Not awful. There was quite a bit of fighting and Maria didn't want to go to bed until I promised you'd say goodnight to her, and Joe was too scared because of his nightmares and Luke's magic was playing up around bedtime, but aside from all of that, I think they're all okay."

Jane nodded slowly, "Well, could've been worse," she told him, letting her hair down and starting to get changed for bed.

Carlos nodded in agreement before pulling himself up and getting changed himself. Once Jane had gone and said goodnight to their children, all of whom were sleeping peacefully, they got into bed and Carlos pulled up his laptop so that the two of them could keep watching the DVD they'd been watching the night before.

Although those households were all so different, they had one thing in common. Love. The love that radiated from each family member was unreal. Even when the children were fighting, you could still tell how much their parents loved them and even when the parents had the odd spat here and there, there was never any doubt of how much they loved each other. Those four families were four very different families, and yet were one big, happy, crazy family who would never trade each other for anything, ever.

 **Here you go, veroandlegolas. I adored writing this one, hope you loved reading it. Sorry it took so long. I am still in highschool (joys of being 16) and therefore have exams.**

 **Maesi belongs to Eli201, Kamryn and Maria belong to Owllover34. Thanks for letting me use your amazing OCs.**

 **Request Counter: 22**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I am so glad you loved it and thanks for pointing those things out :)**

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 **Owllover34: Thanks! And I totally see that happening. Only 22 more oneshots to go and then you can request it! :/**

 **pmbb: I am so glad you loved and don't worry, there is plenty of Bal coming ;)**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	91. Difficult Decisions (Bal)

The sun was shining brightly over the city of Auradon and the streets were bustling with life, citizens enjoying the late morning warmth. The baker was placing a beautifully decorated cake in his shop window, it's three tiers covered in cream and decorated with sugar flowers in shades of pale blue, pink and purple. Across the street, the butcher was sending a flask of tea up to the workers who were repainting her sign, which was followed by a chorus of thanks. She waved at her friend, a waitress in the cafe just diagonally across the street of the butchers, who was writing the specials out on the Specials chalkboard outside. A few streets down, Pin was excitedly running into the workshop that belonged to his grandfather, Geppetto. Geppetto had promised to teach him to use some of the more difficult tools in woodcarving and he couldn't wait to try.

A little way out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the city centre, a long winding road led down to a large castle-turned-school, that was full of life, with every plant perfectly in bloom and every person excitedly talking about the crazy events of the previous day. Over by the Beast statue, two girls were recounting how they felt when the most evil of them all had appeared out of nowhere, whilst towards the entrance, some girls were talking about how amazing their new king was. Inside, people were calling greetings to one another and smiling at everyone they passed. Some were chatting and gossiping about yesterday's events, and some were talking about homework that was due.

Outside, around the back of the school, by the lockers, a certain couple were laughing about a joke the boy had cracked. Well, boy was a bit of an understatement. This boy had become a king just the day before, meaning he was probably no longer regarded as a boy, but as a man. His girlfriend was still grinning a bit as she looked over at her locker, which was covered in graffiti.

"I guess now that I'm good, I should probably remove that, huh?" she said, eyeing it.

Her boyfriend (a term she was still getting used to) nodded, "Yeah, probably. I mean, does good Mal graffiti?" he teased lightly.

Mal raised an eyebrow, "I thought you said I've always been good, Benny-boo."

Ben gave her a playful glare at the nickname and the two of them laughed again. Out of the corner of her eye, Mal noticed a flash of baby pink and turned her head to see Audrey sitting with her boyfriend Chad, giggling obnoxiously loud. Mal felt a twang of guilt in the pit of her stomach so she turned to Ben and sighed, "I have to go do something."

Ben nodded, "Okay. Text you later?"

"Not if I text you first," Mal replied with a slightly strained smile, which Ben luckily didn't notice. She then turned and headed to the pink-clad daughter of her mother's enemy. "Hey, Audrey?"

Audrey turned her head towards Mal, "Oh, hey Mal!" The two girls weren't exactly friends, but after yesterday, they were certainly civil towards one another.

"Can we talk? In private?" Mal added as an afterthought, noticing Chad still with her. Audrey nodded and Chad left the two alone to talk.

Mal sat down and nervously twisted the ring on her finger that Ben had given her the day before, then looked up at Audrey, who's eyes were drawn to the ring.

Before Mal had a chance to speak, Audrey decided to say something: "He gave you his ring?"

Mal looked at her and gulped quietly before nodding. "Uh, yeah. Yesterday, in the carriage ride."

Audrey nodded, "Right. Yeah, I noticed it on your finger when you chose good. Why did he give it to you though? I was with him much longer than you were and he never gave me his signet ring."

Mal cast her eyes down before shrugging, "I don't know, Audrey. But that's kind of what I want to talk to you about."

Audrey looked at her confused before smoothing non-existent wrinkles from her dress and folding her hands in her lap. "Okay. Go ahead."

"I put Ben under a love spell," Mal admitted.

"You what?!" Audrey exclaimed before Mal was able to explain further. Mal shushed her frantically.

"Let me explain! That day that he asked me out, the tourney game? That was the day I gave a cookie with a love spell in it. That's why he sang to me and that's why he didn't break up with you first."

Audrey looked thoughtful for a second before nodding, "I guess that makes sense. He was acting very much out of character. Is he still under the love spell?"

Mal shook her head, "No, he's not. For our first date-"

"I'm sorry, Mal, but I'm not sure if I want to hear what you did on your first date with my ex," Audrey interrupted.

"I understand, Audrey, but it's all relevant, I promise. See, he took me to the Enchanted Lake-"

"Really? He never took me there."Audrey pouted, looking quite upset with her ex.

"He was under a love spell, remember?" Mal reminded gently, "But when he went for a swim, the spell washed away. He didn't tell me though, not until yesterday after I tried to give him an anti-love potion. What I'm trying to say is that the way Ben asked me out was because of a love potion and therefore, I did, technically speaking, steal him from you. So I'm going to break up with him. It's only fair." Tears began welling up behind her eyes, but she refused to let them go.

Audrey gasped, "Wait, you're breaking up with him so that I can be his girlfriend again?"

Mal nodded, trying her very hardest to not cry.

"Oh, thank you, Mal! Thank you! I'm going to go find him now!"

"Wait!" Mal stopped her, "I haven't broken up with him yet. Let me go first and then you can go after him."

Audrey nodded her agreement, "Okay."

Mal got up and pulled out her phone, shooting Ben a quick text, asking him to meet her in the Remedial Goodness classroom.

When Mal arrived at the classroom, Ben wasn't there yet but he had replied to the text, saying that he was on his way. Mal smiled as she looked around the class. So much had changed since she left the Isle, and now she was officially seen as good. She looked around the row of desks, smiling as she thought of how she was the top of the class (the class was four people) just because she knew that the Auradonians would pick the most 'boring' option. She looked over to where the big screen was tucked away, in a corner, remembering the conversation she had with her mum and the other three parents. It had been hard, especially when all her mother seemed to care about was the wand.

"Feeling nostalgic about this place already?" a voice said from behind her. Mal smiled and turned around to see Ben standing there, his hands in his trouser pockets, his blazer buttoned up but the top button of his white shirt open.

Mal shrugged in answer to his question, "A little. I'm a very different person to who I was when I first entered this room."

Ben smiled but shook his head, "No, I think you're the same. You just didn't realise that you were good."

Mal smiled and blushed a little before remembering why she'd asked Ben to meet her there. Ben also seemed to remember that he'd been asked there as after a couple seconds of silence, he spoke up. "Was there a reason as to why you wanted to meet here or were you just feeling nostalgic?"

Mal sat down and patted the seat next hers. When he went around her to sit down, Mal realised that she had automatically sat down in the seat she that she sat in for Remedial Goodness. "We need to talk," Mal said, once Ben had sat down.

Ben looked at her worriedly, "Okay?"

Mal took a deep breath, feeling the pesky tears appearing in her eyes again. "Ben, I think we need to break up."

There was a dead silence for a few seconds, save for the faint chatter of the students in the hall.

"Break up?" Ben asked, finally, clearly in shock, "But...why?"

"Ben, I gave you a love potion. I literally stole you from another girl, just so that I could get to that stupid wand."

Ben looked over at her, eyes wide, "Wait, what?"

Mal realised her mistake, "Oh...um...I'll explain later. The point remains, I gave you a love potion. You shouldn't be with me."

"Mal, we talked about this. I haven't faked anything since the Enchanted Lake. I really do love you."

Mal winced, "But you shouldn't, Ben. It's not fair on Audrey and it wasn't fair on you."

"Mal-"

"Ben, please. Please don't make this even harder." Mal took a deep breath before removing his ring from her finger and placing it on the desk between them. Ben stared at it, his eyes wide and looking strained, as though he was doing his best to not cry. Mal didn't even give him a chance to speak, because the moment the ring was on the table, Mal got up and left. As she walked down the hall, Mal felt a few tears betray her and slide down her cheeks as she sniffed lightly, hoping they would go away. She walked as quickly as she could to her dorm room and sat down on her bed before she allowed the tears to flow freely.

Back in the Remedial Goodness class, Ben still hadn't moved as he stared at the ring in front of him. He heard the clacking of familiar heels and smelt the slightly overpowering scent of expensive perfume, but still, he didn't move. At least not for a few seconds.

"She dumped me," were the first words that left her mouth.

Audrey nodded, "I know, Ben. And I'm sorry. But she did spell you."

Ben whipped his head round to her, "How…?"

"She told me. She also said that she was going to break up with you because it was only fair if I got to be with you, as you weren't yourself when you asked her out."

Ben sighed, "So she did this out of guilt," he muttered, before speaking louder when he addressed Audrey, "Audrey, I know that I should've at the very least broken up with you before publically declaring my love for Mal, but that bit was on the love potion." Ben hesitated before continuing, "However, I was actually planning on breaking up with you later that day, if not the next day."

Audrey looked shocked, "But why?"

Ben grabbed Audrey's hand in his and looked her in the eye, "Audrey, you are really beautiful and you can be so kind-hearted and sweet, so I was attracted to you. But as we continued to date, I began to realise that it was only attraction and that it was nothing more. Mal arriving only showed me that further. You are a great girl, Audrey. And Chad is a good guy. Give him a chance."

Audrey looked at their hands before nodding, "Okay. I guess you're right. We got together because everybody basically said we should."

"And you had a massive crush on me," Ben teased with a smirk, making Audrey laugh and lightly shove his shoulder.

"Friends?" she asked, quietly, once they stopped laughing.

Ben nodded, "Friends."

The two shared a quick hug before Audrey left, telling Ben to go get his girl back as she did so. Ben nodded and picked up the ring that was still sat on the table. His face became determined and he practically ran out of the room, heading straight to Mal's room, determined to win her back.

When he got there, he knocked on the door rapidly and it was opened by Mal, who had tear stains down her cheeks and eyes that were red.

"Ben?"

"Mal, we need to talk."

Mal sighed and opened the door wider, gesturing for him to come in.

Ben walked in and turned to her, looking her in the eye as he did so. Behind her eyes, Ben could see her walls going back up and he knew that she was feeling vulnerable. It killed him to see her like that.

"Mal, we shouldn't break up."

Something flickered across Mal's face – relief maybe? Or perhaps annoyance? Ben hoped it was the former – before her face was once again set in stone.

"Ben, I begged you not to make this harder on us," Mal replied, crossing her arms (defensive stance, Ben noted. She was definitely feeling vulnerable).

"No, listen to me. I know you feel guilty about what you did. But that's a good thing because it shows what a good person you are. But, Mal, you shouldn't feel guilty. I told you, I've known since our first date but I _still_ chose to be with you."

"Ben-" Mal began.

"No, let me finish. You and I both know that your ways of getting me to fall for you were, well, unconventional."

Mal snorted, "Try downright wrong and illegal."

"Hey, well, I'm the king. It's legal if I say so. But, as I was saying, the point remains, Mal, that I still _choose_ you. Even without the love potion."

Mal looked unsure and disbelieving.

"Mal, I could've dumped you, called you out or even gotten you sent back to the Isle once the love spell was broken. But I didn't. All that love potion did was make me realise that I was _actually_ in love with you. So, I don't care how what you did was wrong. I want to be with you."

Mal looked down at her glove-clad hands before looking back up at Ben, "What about Audrey? You loved her, didn't you?"

Ben shook his head, "No, I didn't. I had a crush on her and I was attracted to her but I didn't love her. Not the way I love you."

There was a brief pause. As Ben looked into Mal's eyes, he could see the walls she'd built slowly crumbling away.

"Did you mean it?" he finally asked. Mal looked at him questioningly, not knowing what he meant. "Yesterday. When you said I make you happy. Did you mean it?"

Mal nodded, "Of course I meant it, Ben. But-"

"Then there shouldn't be a 'but'. Mal, I make you happy, you make me incredibly happy, Audrey is happy with Chad, why shouldn't we be together?"

Mal didn't say anything and just stood there. Ben took a few steps towards her and took her hands in his.

"Mal?"

"What if I never love you?" It came out as a whisper, one Ben barely caught.

"What do you mean?"

"You keep saying that you love me. But what if I never love you? What if I'm incapable of love?What if-"

Ben cut her off, "Mal, stop. I promised you I would teach you. I'm planning on keeping that promise. So, what do you say?" He held up the ring that had been in his pocket. "Wear my ring?"

Mal smiled and nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes. Ben slipped the ring back on her finger before pulling her in and wrapping his arms around her. He felt his shirt begin to get wet, as tears of joy and relief began slipping out of her eyes. She held on to him tightly and hoped she would never have to let go.

"By the way," Ben pulled back to look at her, "You gave me the love potion for the wand?"

Mal laughed, "Way to ruin the moment, Benny-boo." But she then proceeded to explain the whole story, which Ben received surprisingly well as it apparently "made more sense than my theory about the crush".

Mal laughed again and pulled him in for another hug. Maybe she could fall in love with him. She guesses she'd have to wait and see.

 **Voila TheGreatGodzilla. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Request Counter: 21**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **veroandlegolas: Awww I am so happy you loved it! I enjoyed writing about those boys being daddies so much.**

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 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	92. Righting the Wrongs

Everyone in Auradon was crowded around their television sets or the large screens in the town squares, watching the coronation. People had gasped when Jane had stolen the wand, awwed when Mal and her friends chose good and screamed when Maleficent turned up but their eyes had been glued to the screens, transfixed with what was happening. They watched as the purple-haired daughter of Maleficent battle her mother and protect her friends. The country erupted into cheers when the four villain kids defeated the most evil of them all before Snow White began talking again.

"Well, with all that excitement out of the way," she said, "The ceremony will resume shortly."

The camera zoomed in on Ben picking up his girlfriend and spinning her around. The citizens of Auradon watched and laughed at the older VK boy's comment of "Let's get this party started!"

"Ohay, ohay!"

"Before you do," Fairy Godmother stopped them, "I never got to finish Ben's blessing. We should really complete the ceremony."

They all nodded and quickly ran back to their seats, Mal pecking Ben's cheek before letting him go back to his kneeling position in front of Fairy Godmother. Ben blushed deeply and looked at her in wonder before collecting himself and bowing his head as Fairy Godmother blessed him with the wand. Ben stood up and turned to face his people as the Fairy Godmother announced him their new king.

"Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King!" The Auradonians chanted before bowing as Ben walked back down the aisle. He glanced over at Mal as he passed her, smiling brightly at her as she maintained eye contact whilst lowering into a curtsy. Ben made stepped into the carriage and waved at his people as the driver began moving so that he could do a quick tour of the city before heading back to his castle, as was tradition after a coronation. Mal had to stay behind for this bit, as it was supposed to be about showing the new king to the city and having someone else there may take the attention away. Mal was fine with this and knew that she'd be taking this time to get ready for the after party that was being hosted at Auradon Prep. Evie grabbed her the moment they left the cathedral and basically dragged her to the cars.

"Okay, so I have your dress ready for the party," Evie told her, "In Auradon, it's cool to have a dress that is essentially a shorter version of the dress you wear to the ceremony connected to the party. So, I have a short version of the dress you're wearing in our room, just fewer ruffles and without the collar."

"Can I wear combat boots?" Mal asked, raising her dress to look at the gold heels on her feet.

Evie looked horrified, "No! Those heels are fine. You look gorgeous in them."

Mal pouted at her, "But E-!" she tried to complain before she was cut off.

"No, M. You can't wear combat boots with a dress. That's a big no in Auradon. Come on, it's just for today."

Mal sighed, "Ugh, fine!"

Evie laughed and bumped her shoulder gently, "You can take your hair down though."

"Yes!" Mal exclaimed and hugged her, "By the way, are you always going to be this controlling over my wardrobe?"

"Only when you let me be in charge of it," Evie replied with a grin.

Mal rolled her eyes playfully and laughed.

Finally, the car pulled up to the large castle, which was almost glowing in the light of the setting sun, the windows shining brightly and the bronze beast statue gleaming, as the flowers surrounding it seemed to sigh in sleepiness. The light evening breeze swished through the trees and the sound of chattering and car doors slamming began to fill the air as students trickled slowly back onto campus in order to get ready for the after party. Evie dragged Mal through the school, slowly though, so that neither tripped on their skirts, and practically shoved her into their room.

"Go get out of that dress and I'll grab our other ones," Evie told her, pointing her to the bathroom. Mal nodded and headed in. She peeled the dress off slowly, a little relieved to be out of the itchy material, and hung it up on the clothes hanger that Evie had put on the back of the door. Mal slipped into the soft robe that the school had provided for them in the large welcome packet, which had consisted of phones, laptops, games, movies, and a few other sources of entertainment as well as towels, robes and slippers. They were also provided with a small allowance for when they were allowed to go to town.

Mal opened the door to see Evie in a similar robe, standing by the vanity mirror, pulling out all her hair and makeup supplies. Off the edge of the wardrobe hung two dresses, which looked remarkably similar to their previous dresses but shorter and without the fancy collars, which Mal was very pleased about.

"Yours doesn't look that much shorter," Mal commented, causing Evie to turn around.

"Well, this was is ankle length. The other one was floor length," Evie explained before placing the final things on her vanity drawer. "Sit."

Mal obeyed, staring at all the supplies, "Umm, didn't we already do all this?"

"I promised you a new hairdo and we need touch-ups on our make-up," Evie replied, as she slowly began to undo Mal's hair. Mal sighed but allowed it to happen. She closed her eyes as Evie messed around with her hair and then touched-up her make-up.

"Done!" Evie announced, gleefully. Mal opened her eyes and smiled, happy that her hair was now gently brushing her shoulders.

"Thanks, E," she replied.

"You're welcome, M. Now move. I have to do my make-up." Mal laughed and got up, grabbing her dress from the wardrobe and going into the bathroom to slip it on. She stared in the mirror and smiled lightly, as she looked over her appearance, which was a bit more her than the previous dress. Not that she didn't love the previous one, but shorter dresses were far more comfortable. She smoothed her hands down the skirt before taking a deep breath and nodding to herself. When she stepped out, Evie was standing there, her own dress in hand and the two boys sat on their beds.

"Oh, hey guys!" Mal said, brightly as she stepped out. Carlos waved and Jay gave a curt nod. "What's up?"

"We got bored of waiting, wanted to see what was taking you girls so long," Carlos replied.

"Yes, well, we girls have to change between events like these, so we're going to take some time."

"I never thought I'd see the day where the malicious, callous Mal would wear not one, but two dresses in the space of a few hours," Jay commented with a laugh.

"Watch it," Mal warned, jokingly, "I still have my spell book, you know."

They all laughed, Evie included as she stepped out of the bathroom, having heard the whole exchange.

"Well, I think we're almost ready!" Evie exclaimed, going over to the vanity desk.

"Almost?" Carlos whined a little. Their laughter was interrupted by a knock on the door. The four looked at each other curiously before Mal went to open it. When the door opened, it revealed an upset looking Lonnie, her hair now down and wearing a much shorter hanfu than she had originally been wearing at the coronation.

"Can I come in?" She asked somewhat shyly, which surprised everyone, due to how confident she seemed normally. Mal nodded and stepped back, opening the door wider for her to come in. Lonnie's head was bowed as she entered. "Guys, I just wanted...I am so sorry about what I did on Family Day. There is no excuse for my behaviour or the way I treated you. It was wrong and...and..." Suddenly, Lonnie dropped to her knees and bowed in front of them all, her face to the ground, her hands splayed out in front of her "Please forgive me."

The four VKs all looked at her in shock before looking at each other, none of them knowing what to do. Finally, Mal crouched down beside the bowing girl.

"Lonnie, get up. It's okay," She said reassuringly, "We understand the way you acted and why you did it. We forgive you."

Lonnie shook her head but still didn't look up, "I have brought dishonour upon my family with my actions. You don't have to pretend to understand why I acted the way I did, because I don't even understand why." Her voice was shaking, as though trying to suppress sobs.

"Lonnie," Mal replied, a little more firmly, "You have been forgiven and you restored your family honour by coming here and asking for forgiveness. We don't hold it against you and we want you to go from here shame-free from what happened."

Lonnie finally lifted her head, tears running down her face. "You really forgive me?"

They all nodded. Jay offered her a hand, which she gratefully took, wiping her eyes with the other one as she stood up slowly.

"Come here, let me fix your make-up," Evie said kindly, taking her hand from Jay and leading her to the vanity drawer.

"Why are you being so kind to me, when I was so horrible to you guys?" Lonnie asked, despite having been forgiven.

Mal smiled softly at her, "Because you were the only one who seemed to care that our lives were so awful before coming here. You shed a tear for us when no one else would bat an eye."

"And then I sided with Chad-"

"Who has been your friend for years," Mal reminded, "You're loyal and I admire that."

Lonnie smiled and looked down at her hands, making Evie tut and lift her head again, "You know, it's difficult to do your makeup when you're looking down."

Lonnie let out a little laugh and allowed Evie's gentle fingers to clean up the mess she'd made of her face and carefully reapply her make-up. A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door and Mal opened it again, to find Jane there, also wearing a shorter version of her previous dress. Mal opened the door wider before she could say anything and gestured for her to come in. Jane smiled shyly and walked in before turning to Mal. Her apology flew out of her mouth before anyone had a chance to speak.

"Mal, I am so sorry about Family Day. I shouldn't have said what I did. I was just trying to be cool like Audrey, only now I realise that she wasn't cool at all that day and I should never have said that Ben wouldn't make you a queen because you'd make a great queen and-"

"Jane, breathe!" Mal replied with a laugh, "It's okay."

"But I nearly killed you guys and I was so rude to you on Family Day and-"

"Jane," Mal said gently, "We forgive you. The whole thing with my mum was my fault, not yours. I manipulated you into thinking you aren't beautiful. So just forget about it, okay? I forgive you and I hope you can actually forgive me for manipulating you the way I did."

Jane nodded, "Yes, I can forgive you. You just wanted to please your mum."

Mal nodded, "And that was my mistake."

Suddenly Jane flung her arms around her, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Mal smiled and patted her head, awkwardly, "No problem. Hey, if you want, I could spell your hair back."

Jane looked thoughtful as she touched her short hair. She shook her head, "No, I want to do it without magic."

"I can style it if you want?" Evie said as she finished off Lonnie's make-up. Lonnie got up and smiled at them all, waving goodbye and telling them she hoped to see them later as she left the room.

Jane smiled at Evie, "Would you?" Evie nodded and patted the seat in front of the mirror. Just as she finished the braided bun, there was another knock on the door, making Mal roll her eyes. She opened the door to reveal Doug, standing awkwardly outside.

"E, you might want to take this one." Mal stepped back and allowed Evie to see who was there. Evie sighed and went outside closing the door behind her.

"Yes?" she asked, a little spite in her tone.

Doug looked down ashamed, "I don't even know how to begin to apologise, Evie. I swear, I never meant to hurt you. You begged me to not go to Chad but I didn't listen and I should have. I've never regretted anything more in my life."

"Why now, Doug?" Evie asked, her arms crossed, "Why didn't you try to talk to me earlier?"

"I'm sorry, Evie. I just...I didn't know how to talk to you or if you would forgive me."

Evie let out a huff of air and looked at him, with an almost desperate look in her eye as she attempted to hold back tears, "Doug… I want to forgive you but I just don't understand why you didn't stay."

"I'm sorry, Evie. I didn't want to hurt you, I honestly didn't. It's just...Chad...he would've made my life hell if I hadn't listened to him and-"

Evie stopped him with a hand, closing her eyes as she did so, "Doug," she said slowly, opening her eyes as she did so, "I know you didn't want to hurt me and I know you were reluctant to give in but it still hurt, Doug. It really hurt."

"I know," Doug replied, "And I'll do whatever I can to fix it. Please, just give me a chance. Please?"

Evie stared at him for a few seconds before nodding, "I forgive you, Doug."

Doug smiled and cupped her cheek, wiping away the stray tear that escaped her eye. Evie smiled at him before pulling her head back.

"I have to finish getting ready. But I'll see you at the party?" Doug nodded, smiling brightly. Evie waved goodbye before going back into her room. She kicked Jay and Carlos out, telling them that they should just go to the party whilst Mal bid Jane goodbye and allowed her to head on to the party.

Evie put the tiara on her head and turned to Mal, "Ready?"

"Ready."

The two of them walked out arm in arm and saw people dancing out back already, all cheering as Ben had just arrived back and was riding on the shoulders of some of the boys. They headed down the steps together and smiled at each other. They got onto the makeshift stage and began to sing.

"Oh oh yeah! Oh yeah, yeah!"

"Let's set it off! Oh yeah!" Evie sang.

"You can make it happen!" Mal sang back, which was followed by an OHAY, OHAY from the boys. Ben picked up the song from there and they all began to sing and dance. When Evie dance between the two rows of people, next to him, Doug realised he really was forgiven and the two of them began to dance together, enjoying themselves immensely. Meanwhile, Jane was sat on a bench, still too ashamed to go dance, as she felt she had no reason to celebrate. She'd stolen her mother's wand and accidentally freed Maleficent, causing people to nearly die. She heard the boys begin to rap and was confused when she saw Jay and Carlos sit next to her. They both offered a hand to her, which she took slowly and they lead her onto the dance floor, Jay letting go and allowing Carlos to be the one to lead her. She was so happy and the two of them danced together, full of glee. She knew then that they didn't hold what she did against her. Carlos was an incredible dancer and she felt herself move almost as fluidly as he did it. It was amazing and felt so free. And that was all it took for her to realise that she was now free of what she did.

Apologies and forgiveness were handed out in bucket loads that day, but it was all okay. Everyone was happy and no one held a grudge. Forgiving the AKs for Family Day helped the VKs learn that to let go of bitterness, because who likes bitter? And for the AKs, the forgiveness was a sign that sometimes, it's the AKs that are in the wrong and sometimes VKs can be just as good as the rest of them.

 **Here you go TheGreatGodzilla! I hope you liked it!**

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 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	93. Served with a Side of Love (Janelos)

The day started like any other day, with the sun slowly rising in the east and the birds beginning to wake and sing their morning song. The morning breeze blew through the trees, rustling the green leaves into a little dance to the song of the birds. As the sun rose higher, it's orange light chased away the shadows that had covered the castle-turned-school, seeping its way into the windows that were not blocked by curtains. Many curtains, however, were drawn tight, as no one enjoyed being woken up early on a Sunday morning. Well, almost no one.

One girl was up almost as soon as the sun was. She couldn't contain her excitement so when she woke up due to the sun coming through a crack in the curtains, she was fully awake almost straight away. Despite the fact that it was about six in the morning, Jane decided to start her morning routine anyway. She quickly showered before choosing a dress – a blue A-line dress with a pleated skirt and white buttons running up the bodice, with a small pink bow tucked under the shirt collar – and slipping on some tan heels. She then pulled her hair up in a bun behind her head, tying it off with a hair ribbon that matched the bow on her dress. After finishing off her look with some light make-up, Jane grabbed her laptop and opened it quietly, hoping to not disturb her sleeping room-mate. She checked her email and her Gracebook account before shutting down the computer and deciding to read in order to kill some time. She went over to her bookshelf and carefully pulled out the well-read and slightly battered copy of Secret Garden, one of her favourites (although, not her all-time favourite). She opened the book where she'd left the blue ribbon bookmark in the previous evening and began to read, smiling as she did so.

After a few chapters, Jane glanced up and realised that it was eight o'clock and that breakfast would be served, so, with a smile, she got up and headed out, making sure to close the door gently behind her, as her roommate was still asleep and if she didn't get her beauty sleep, she was a bit of a nightmare.

As she sat down with her breakfast, Jane heard some not-so-quiet footsteps approaching behind her before a pair of hands covered her eyes. Jane giggled lightly as she heard a familiar voice:

"Guess who?"

"I don't know. Roger Radcliffe?" She joked.

"Hillarious," the voice deadpanned as the hands disappeared.

Jane smiled and leaned her head back to look at the owner of the voice properly, "Oh, it's just my awesome, amazing boyfriend, Carlos," she commented.

"Happy anniversary," Carlos replied, pecking her lips, a smile slowly creeping across his face.

"Happy anniversary," she echoed, smiling back. Carlos sat down next to her and took her hand in his, holding it as he began to eat his own breakfast. Usually, they wouldn't act as sickeningly sweet as they were today, but they were both so happy that they'd managed a year together. Both were new to the whole relationship thing but Jane was determined to make this one be their first and their last. She knows it was unlikely and rare to be with your highschool sweetheart forever, but hey, they lived in a land of fairy tales. Anything could happen.

"So," Carlos brought her back down to earth as he begun to speak, "I have a gift for you back in my room. I can go get it if you want?"

Jane smiled, "That depends if you want me to have it now or if you want to wait till this evening."

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "What's this evening?"

Jane smiled, "A surprise. Not telling you, yet."

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait for yours as well, then," Carlos told her.

Jane smiled and squeezed his hand gently before letting go and picking up her dirty dishes and bringing them over to the dish return. She jumped when she turned around to see Carlos standing right behind her.

"Okay, don't do that," she said, only a little annoyed, "You know I don't like it when people sneak up on me."

"You love me," Carlos replied, grinning.

Jane rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I do."

Carlos smirked victoriously and quickly stole another kiss from her before placing his own dishes on the dish return and holding out a hand. Jane took his hand, entwining their fingers and allowing him to lead the way out of the cafeteria.

"So, what do you want to do?" Carlos asked, "Today is all about you and me."

Jane smiled, "Anything. As long as it's just you and me."

"Ugh, you two make me sick." The couple turned around to see Uma standing behind them, her arms crossed.

"Don't like it, don't listen," Carlos replied.

"Whatever. What's with you two today, anyway? You're not normally _this_ sickening," Uma commented.

"One year anniversary," Jane replied, smiling a bit brighter.

Uma rolled her eyes, "Ugh, you two are way too cutesy. I'm leaving before I lose my appetite."

"You asked," Carlos called after her as she headed off to the cafeteria. Both of them chuckled before continuing on their way. They headed into Carlos's dorm and smiled when they saw that Jay wasn't there. Carlos kicked Dude out, which he took surprisingly well, and then the two of them sat down on the edge of his bed, hands entwined in Carlos's lap and Jane's head resting on his shoulder.

"It's been a year since the Royal Cotillion," The TV that had been displaying the news the whole time they were in there, was saying. "And a year since we had a new Lady of the Court. We talked to her yesterday in an interview."

Jane reached for the remote and turned off the TV, sighing a little, "Well, at least we'll never forget our anniversary with everyone always talking about Mal becoming a Lady of the Court."

"Yeah, then they'll get married and she'll become queen so we'd actually have to remember the date," Carlos joked.

Jane let out an amused huff of air before lifting her head off his shoulder and looking at him. "Think we're going to be together that long?"

"I don't know. Though, knowing Ben, wouldn't surprise me if he proposed tomorrow."

Jane laughed and playfully shoved him. "Be nice. That's the king you're talking about."

Carlos smiled, "Well, I mean, he told Mal he loved her three days after meeting her."

Jane rolled her eyes, "And who's fault was that?"

Carlos put his hands up, "Not guilty."

"Guilty by association," Jane argued, smiling a little.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "I'm hurt," he joked, "Well, I'm sure I can win the jury over with my good looks and charm."

Jane pretended to think about it, "Eh, you're okay."

"Oh really?" Carlos pounced on her and began tickling her sides, causing her to erupt into fits of laughter and squirm. "Still think that?"

"Yep!" she managed between breathless laughs. "Stop!" She cried, giggling.

"Not until you tell me I'm cute," Carlos replied, continuing his attack.

"Never!" she gasped out, feet kicking a little.

"You asked for it." He tickled her even more, causing her to scream with laughter. She tried to get away from him, refusing to give up.

"Okay, okay!" she cried, finally relenting, "I surrender! You're cute!"

Carlos smirked victoriously, stopping with his onslaught, "Thought so."

Jane caught her breath before sitting up, smiling, "You're evil."

"Born and raised," Carlos replied, smiling. Jane rolled her eyes and pecked his lips quickly.

Carlos raised his eyebrow, "What was that for?"

Jane shrugged, "Because I love you."

Carlos's face grew into a small smirk, "Well, in that case." He kissed her for a few seconds, cupping her cheek as he did so. "I love you too."

Jane smiled and took the hand on her cheek, placing a kiss on the palm before lowering it and entwining her fingers with his. Carlos smiled at her. Suddenly, he seemed to get an idea, as his face lit up further and he pulled out his phone, letting go of Jane's hand as he did so. Jane grinned as "You & Me" began playing through the speakers on his bedside table, which he'd connected to his phone. He stood up and offered her his hand, which she took happily. The two of them began slowly dancing and twirling through the room, picking up speed as the song did. They began singing along, without even thinking about it. They danced and sang, grinning brightly the whole time. Carlos picked Jane up by the waist and spun on the spot with her stretching out her arms as they sang the final line. When the song ended, he gently put her down, smiling at her with a soft look in his eyes. Jane returned the smile, placing her hands behind his neck. They stood there in silence, completely lost in one another. Carlos searched her face before leaning forward and kissing her again. Their lips moved against each other in a gentle and sweet motion, pouring out all their love for one another into that kiss. Slowly, they parted, Jane not yet opening her eyes as they stood their peacefully.

Finally, her eyes fluttered open to see Carlos staring at her with such awe in his eyes it almost made her weak at the knees.

"What?" she asked, beginning to feel a bit self-conscious as he continued to stare at her.

Carlos shook his head slowly, smiling a little more, "I just can't believe I've been with you for a year. I mean, you're so amazing and you're somehow not sick of me, after a year. I am so lucky."

Jane heard a snort behind her and turned to see Jay standing near the door, arms crossed, an amused look on his face. "Wow, that was cheesy."

"Way to ruin the moment, man," Carlos accused, reluctantly letting go of Jane as she dropped her arms back down to her sides.

"Sorry, but there is only so much sap I can take," Jay said, sitting down, "And I'd like my room back."

Carlos began to protest but Jane stopped him with a hand on his chest, "It's fine. You know, as the daughter of the headmistress, I might be able to convince her to give us special permission for off-campus privileges."

Carlos smiled, "Abusing your power? We'll make a VK of you, yet."

Jane rolled her eyes playfully, took his hand and led him out of the room. They walked through the school, chatting lightly and greeting people as they did so. They were stopped briefly by Ally who was excitedly chatting at them about how sweet they were (both of them were blushing immensely at that) but they managed to get to Fairy Godmother's office fairly quickly. Jane knocked on the door and waited for her mum to answer.

"Come in!" FG called out. The two teens walked into her office. "Hello, dear ones! How can I help you?"

"Well, Mum, I was wondering if me and Carlos could have off-campus privileges today?" Jane asked, a little shyly, "I know you wouldn't normally allow people to go off-campus on any other day but it's just for today. We kinda want to spend some time together, just the two of us, outside of school."

Fairy Godmother smiled at them, "Well, I suppose I could make an exception. It is, after all, your first anniversary," she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

Jane smiled back and nodded, "Thank you, Mum."

"Go on, you two. But don't go broadcasting it, otherwise I'll have to give it to everyone."

The two of them grinned and nodded, leaving the room with a chorus of thanks. The moment they left the grounds, they headed straight to town, deciding what to do along the way. Eventually, they decided to just window shop for a bit, checking out the many shops in the centre. At one point, they went into a jewellery shop where Jane admired some of the simple lockets that were on display. Carlos offered to buy her one, as an extra anniversary gift, but she declined, saying that she was just looking and that she had a necklace she loved anyway, fiddling with the chain on her neck as she did so. Carlos smiled when he recognised the gift he'd given her for their first Christmas together. He touched the area on his chest where he felt the pendant of his own necklace sitting. They moved on from the store and headed into an accessory shop, where they tried on oversized sunglasses and had a good laugh together.

Eventually, they decided to go get some lunch, after Carlos's stomach gave a loud growl causing Jane to laugh and comment that it was midday so they may as well. Jane bought them both a sandwich from the deli and they sat together on a bench, eating slowly and chatting the day away. Once they finished eating, they just sat together for a while, talking about this, that and the other. At one point, they decided to get some hot chocolates and they spent hours sitting in the coffee shop, talking about everything. All too soon, the time came for them to return to school, so the two of them headed back, hand in hand.

As soon as they'd reached the building, Jane turned to Carlos, "You know that surprise I mentioned this morning?"

"Yeah?" Carlos asked, an excited twinkle in his eye.

"Come to the student kitchen at around six, and you'll get it then," she said, with a smile.

Carlos looked a little disappointed but it was fleeting and he was smiling again almost straight away, "I guess I'll bring yours down this evening then."

Jane nodded and smiled at him, kissing his cheek. "See you this evening." Just as she turned to leave, Carlos grabbed her hand and spun her towards himself, capturing her in a quick kiss before releasing her again, with a smile. Jane blinked a little dazed.

"Woah. I think we should have anniversaries more often," she joked, making Carlos wink at her.

"I'm not complaining." Jane giggled then let go of his hand and headed down to the kitchens.

Jane looked around the kitchens that were usually used for Home Ec and took a deep breath before finding the recipe she was going to use and grabbing the ingredients she needed. Immediately, things began to go wrong. She accidentally cut her finger when chopping vegetables and accidentally burned herself when she tried to turn on the stove. She then dropped the pot after filling it with water, meaning there was water all over the floor. When she finally managed to get everything cooking, she slipped on her way to clean up and only just managed to catch herself. She went around cleaning everything up, mopping up the floor, making sure her plaster wasn't falling off, and running her burnt fingers under the cold tap. She was on the verge of tears of frustration and pain when she realised that she hadn't turned one of the stoves on. Hurriedly she turned it on and checked the clock. It was almost six and nothing was ready yet. She quickly grabbed some plates, cutlery and glasses, placing them on the countertop that they were going to eat from. She attempted to light the candles she'd placed there but the matches wouldn't light. She suddenly smelt burning and turned to see that the sauce had been on the stove too long as was now burning.

"No, no, no!" She rushed over and turned off the stove. The little the sauce that was left was nowhere near enough to call a meal.

"Jane?" Jane whipped around at the sound of her name to see Carlos standing in the doorway, looking at the disaster that was the kitchen.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, "I so wanted to surprise you with a nice romantic meal but the sauce is burned and the pasta is undercooked and the stupid matches wouldn't light so I couldn't light the candles and it's all just gone wrong." She sat down on one of the tall stools and covered her hands. She heard Carlos move over to the stove and heard the sound of the cooker turning off then felt him next to her, his hands gently grasping her wrists as he took her hands away from her face. She was bewildered to see him smiling at her.

"So glad to know you think this is funny," she snapped before sniffing and wiping her nose.

Carlos looked a little taken aback, "No, no, I don't. Not at all."

Jane huffed and looked down, wiping her eyes as she did so. Carlos sighed and gently lifted her head so that she'd look at him but she kept her eyes downcast and moved her head out of his hand.

"Jane, look at me," he encouraged softly. Jane refused, turning her head from him a little further, "Please."

Jane sighed before looking at him. He was gazing at her with such intensity that she almost thought he was looking into her soul.

"I don't think that it's funny. I think that it was really sweet of you to try and do something like this."

"Except I failed," Jane reminded him, pouting a little.

Carlos chuckled a little, "Jane, it's okay. The fact that you were willing to put your time and effort into this is the only present I need."

Jane sighed, "I just wanted to surprise you with something nice. Turns out I can't even do that."

Carlos shook his head and held out his hand to her, "Come on, let's scrap this and cook something else. Hey, what did you do to your fingers?" he asked suddenly, noticing the plaster and the redness of her fingers.

"Cuts and burns," she muttered, a little ashamed. Carlos smiled lightly and pressed a gentle kiss to each one, making her blush.

"Think you can grate some cheese without grating your fingers?" Carlos asked jokingly.

"Ha, ha," she deadpanned.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Carlos said genuinely, "You grate the cheese and I'll get some potatoes."

Once the potatoes were cooking in the oven, Carlos went over to Jane who was slowly grating a small block of cheese, looking a little miserable. Carlos put a hand on her shoulder, carefully. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Jane shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I'm just upset with myself for failing at making a simple meal."

"So maybe you're not a great cook. You can't be good at everything, you know. I mean, you're great at most things, but maybe cooking isn't one of those things. That's okay."

Jane shook her head, "It's just..." she trailed off, shaking her head again.

"Just what?"

"Nothing. It's silly and a little embarrassing," Jane replied, grating the last bit of cheese.

"No, go on. Tell me."

Jane looked over at his intrigued face and sighed, "I'm just scared that if I can't even make a simple meal then I could never be a good wife." Her face went bright red and she hid it by going to place the cheese on the countertop.

"Well, you're only fifteen. You have time to learn. And if you don't, just hope that your future husband can cook."

Jane turned around at that and cocked her head a little curiously, "You say that like-" she stopped herself, "Never mind."

"Like what?" Carlos asked curiously, as he went over to the oven and pulled out the jacket potatoes, placing them on plates and turning the oven off.

Jane went even more red as he looked at her expectantly as they sat across from each other, food in front of them.

"You say it like you don't think it'll be you," she finally muttered her whole face on fire now. Carlos went a bit red as well, opening and closing his mouth, unsure what to say. Jane quickly went to rectify what she said. "Which is fair enough, of course! I mean, we're fifteen. We don't need to think that far ahead in the future and the chances of high school relationships lasting that long are very unlikely." Realising that that wasn't much better, she began rambling again, "Not that I don't think we'll last! I mean, we might be an exception, so you never know." She hid her face in her hands, "I should probably stop talking."

Carlos was as red as his shorts, as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I just never thought that far ahead in the future. I'm so happy with you right now, I can't imagine anything different from what we have. I mean, I think I'll want it someday, and I'll want it to be you, but you know, we're fifteen. I'm just happy now."

Jane smiled, "I'm happy too. I'm sorry I freaked you out. I didn't mean anything by what I said. I was just thinking out loud."

Carlos smiled, "It's fine. Hey, you want your present now?"

Thankful for the change in subject, as it had embarrassed them both so much, Jane nodded. "Sure."

Carlos reached into his jacket and pulled out a neatly wrapped present, placing down in front of her. Jane carefully removed the wrapping paper and gasped. It was a book with the title _The Little Princess_ across the front.

"I love this book!" Jane exclaimed, hugging it to her chest.

Carlos nodded and smiled, "I know. And I know you already have a copy but this was a special one hundred year edition."

Jane furrowed her brow, "But the one hundred year edition would've come out twelve years ago?"

Carlos scratched the back of neck awkwardly, "Yeah, it's second hand. I found it in a charity shop," he admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.

Jane smiled and flicked through the pages, inhaling the scent of old book. "I love it," she said, closing it. Carlos grinned and the two of them went back to their meal. After they finished their potatoes, they found a bar of chocolate and shared it as dessert before washing everything up together. Once the kitchen was clean, they headed back upstairs, heading to Jane's room, as Audrey tended to not be in their room around this time. Jane admired her new book with a smile and smiled even brighter when Carlos awkwardly asked if she wanted to read it together so that he could hear the book that she loved so much. Jane nodded eagerly and lay on her bed, propping herself up on her headboard, so that she was half sitting, and Carlos lay his head in her lap, closing his eyes as she began to reading, taking in everything that was read.

It had been a good anniversary, cooking mayhem aside, and they hoped for many more just as good.

 **Here you go TheGreatGodzilla! I hope you liked it! I know that your request was only a small part of this oneshot, so I really hope you don't mind! I really enjoy writing about these two.**

 **Request Counter: 19**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Hihe: I am so glad you enjoyed it! And don't worry, that one should be coming soon (ish)**

 **Grace: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Also, Happy Friendiversary! (Kinda appropriate chapter for it, eh?)**

 **TheGreatGodzilla: I am so happy that I lived up to your expectations! I really hope you liked this one as well!**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	94. An Evil Sidekick is for Life

It was a lazy Saturday morning in Auradon. The golden rays falling from the sun were soft and warm and the breeze was gentle and calm. Casual chatter and laughter filled the air, as the pupils of Auradon Prep lounged about and enjoyed the beautiful day. Some people were tossing a frisbee or a ball between them, others were lying on towels, soaking up the sun. A group of girly girls giggled as they waved at the star tourney player and nearly screamed with giggles as he grinned at them. The boy in question spotted his best friend and sat on the ground near him.

"Hey, Jay," said the best friend, glancing at him briefly before reaching out and stopping his dog by grabbing the stick in his mouth.

"Hey, Carlos," Jay replied, resting on his elbows, watching his friend yank the stick from his dog and lobbing it away. If you'd told him two years ago that he'd be watching Carlos play with a dog rather than running away from one, he'd laugh at you whilst having taken all your valuables in the duration of that conversation which you wouldn't have noticed till long after he'd run away from you.

Jay watched as Carlos played with Dude, almost smiling at the thought of how things had changed. "Man, I can not believe you used to be a cat person," he said, causing Carlos to look up as he continued to tug the stick from Dude's mouth.

Carlos shrugged, "Beelzebub was my best friend. She protected me, comforted me. And now, Dude is my best friend," Carlos said, looking down at the dog tugging the stick.

"Love you too, buddy. Now let go of my stick!" Dude said though it was a bit muffled due to the stick between his teeth.

"Not a chance," Carlos replied, tugging the stick from Dude's mouth. "Fetch!" He chucked it, causing Dude to chase after it.

"You miss her? Bee, I mean," Jay spoke up again, after a bit of pondering.

Carlos turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Sometimes. Why? Do you miss Lagan and Derelict?"

Before Jay could reply, somebody flung themselves on the ground next to him.

"Who are Lagan and Derelict?" Lonnie asked, propping herself on her elbows.

"My evil sidekicks," Jay replied, watching as Carlos took the stick from Dude again.

"His pets," Carlos elaborated, tossing the stick again.

"You had pets?" Lonnie asked, suddenly interested.

"We did. But they were called evil sidekicks," a voice said from behind Jay and Lonnie. They looked up to see Evie. "Only the weak called them 'pets'."

"Did you have one as well then, Eve?" Her boyfriend, Doug, asked as the two of them sat down on the grass, Evie delicately tucking her legs under her.

Evie nodded. "I had a parrot. Othello. He's one of Iago's descendants. Had quite the mouth, though."

"And Carlos had a cat," Jane said, appearing in their line of sight. She held a frisbee in her hand.

Carlos nodded and caught the frisbee that his girlfriend chucked at him. Dude dropped the stick he had just brought back and begun jumping up and down, "Frisbee! Frisbee! Frisbee!"

Carlos laughed before chucking it for Dude to chase.

"How about you then, Mal?" King Ben and Lady Mal had hung a bit, standing as they listened to the conversation.

"I uh...I didn't have one. You know me. Thought I was strong enough to do things solo." She put on a fake smile and sat down next to Evie, who shot her a sad and slightly guilty look.

"Evie..." Mal warned, "Don't you dare apologise again. You were six. It was our mothers' fault, not yours."

The AKs all looked each other, sharing confused looks. "Are we missing something here?" Ben asked, slowly, looking at his girlfriend.

Mal glanced at Evie, "I'll tell them," she sighed, "Look, when we were six, Evie had this amazing birthday party. Everyone was invited. Everyone, except me. My mum and Evie's mum had a rivalry so EQ did want me to come and then made it one of the grandest parties just to rub my nose in it. Everyone who went got an evil sidekick. I didn't go, I didn't get one. That's all there is to it, really."

Evie looked down at her lap ashamed, "Seriously, Mal. I am sorry."

Mal shook her head, "It's fine, E. Honestly. Besides, I got you back, didn't I? I convinced you to come on an adventure with me-"

"-and nearly caused me to take a thousand-year nap. I know."

The two girls held each other's gaze for a beat before bursting into laughter. Jay and Carlos began laughing as well, all remembering the adventure that brought them together.

"Remember how scared we were when we saw Beelzebub's shadow?" Carlos remembered. The other three VKs laughed again. The AKs couldn't help but smile although the joke was lost on them.

Once the laughter stopped, Evie sighed, "I miss Othello sometimes."

Jay nodded, "Yeah. Eels may not be the best pets but I still miss Lagan and Derelict."

"Oh, watch out. Jay is feeling things," Lonnie joked, getting a shove in response.

Laughing, Carlos sat down on the ground after taking the frisbee from Dude yet again and threw it lazily. He watched his dog zip off and shrugged. "I have Dude now, but I guess I'd prefer it if I had Beelzebub with me. I don't know what would happen to her if my mother found her."

Mal gave them a tight smile again before standing up. "Ben, we have a council meeting in five minutes. Grumpy is representing the dwarves again so we'd better get a move on."

Ben took her outstretched hand and stood up. "You okay?" he asked her quietly.

Mal nodded, "Yeah. Just some things remind me of times I want to forget."

Ben cocked his head questioningly, making Mal sigh as the two of them began walking away.

"Because of that party, I hated Evie for ten years. It left me bitter and made me do horrible things to her. Or want to. All I managed to do was terrorise her by shoving her into Cruella's fur closet."

"Oh, it that all?" Ben replied, sarcastically, earning a shove in return.

"Hey, she wasn't injured and Carlos saved her. That's a failure in a villain's eyes."

Ben chuckled and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. Mal said nothing more on the subject so neither did Ben. If there was more to tell, she'd tell him eventually. After all, he did plan to spend the rest of his life with her.

Back with the others, Jay, Carlos and Lonnie had just taken off, racing each other to R.O.A.R practice, leaving Jane, Doug and Evie behind. Jane was lying on the ground, Dude on top of her as she tried to wrestle the frisbee from his mouth. Doug and Evie watched on, chuckling slightly.

"Evie!" Arabella, one of Ariel's nieces, called out, gesturing her over. Evie smiled and stood up, waving goodbye to Doug and Jane before running over to her.

That left just Doug and Jane, who managed to get the frisbee away from Dude. Doug stood up and offered Jane a hand, which she took gratefully, dusting herself off.

"I think we should do something," Doug said, looking over at where Evie was chatting with some of her friends.

"About?" Jane asked, fixing her ponytail.

Doug looked at her, "Their pets. It might make them happy to have them. I just wish we had a way to get them."

"That's it!" Jane cried out, causing Doug to jump and look at her confused. "Wish! We can use Jordan's lamp to wish them over here."

"Woah, woah, magic? That's a bad idea."

Jane sighed, "Oh come on. It's not illegal! Just frowned upon. And it's for a good cause!" She pleaded.

Doug looked torn before sighing, "Okay, fine. Anything to make Evie happy."

Jane clapped her hands in excitement, "Come on, let's go find the lamp."

She set off towards the girls' dorms, Doug right behind her. They stopped at the sight of a small golden lamp, adorned with jewels, shining on the shelf of a bookcase in one of the halls in which the dorms were. Jane picked it up and rubbed it, causing them to appear in the bottle, where Jordan was tidying up after her web show.

"Does nobody know how to knock any more?" she demanded when she saw the two of them. "How would you like it if I just barged into your room without warning?"

"Sorry, Jordan," Jane apologised, "Over-excitement. We need your help."

Jordan crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "What do you need?"

Jane chewed the inside of her cheek nervously, "I was hoping we could make a wish."

Jordan shook her head, "Uh, no. I'm not some magical creature designed to fulfil all your desires," she said.

Doug frowned, "Wait, isn't that what a genie is?"

Jordan narrowed her eyes at him, causing Doug to throw his arms up in defence, "Of course you're not!" he backtracked.

Jane sat down on one of the poofs dotted around, "Please, Jordan. Let us just explain our idea."

Jordan sat down and listened. She seemed to be less reluctant due to the fact that they asked as opposed to tricking her into granting a wish. She considered their request for a few seconds before shrugging. "Fine. Pets are important. But pets aren't allowed in Auradon Prep so what do you propose to do?"

"Easy. Convince my mum to let them stay because they don't have a home to send their pets to."

Jordan pursed her lips. "Fine. But if you guys get in trouble, I had nothing to do with this."

The other two agreed and Jane said the magic words, "I wish that Evie, Jay and Carlos's old pets would appear in their rooms once they get back to them."

Once the deed was done, Jordan kicked them out of her lamp and resumed cleaning up.

Jane smiled once they landed in the hallway again. "They're going to be so excited!"

Doug smiled, "Let's hope so."

They spotted Evie just about to enter her room so Doug ran up to her, wanting to be there to see her reaction, Jane following on behind. Evie smiled at them and walked in. There was a flash of magic and suddenly there was a bright, colourful parrot flying around, yelling out some profanities. Evie let out a screech and ducked out of the room, slamming the door closed behind her. She held a hand over her racing heart and looked at the two who stood behind her in bewilderment.

"W-what was that? Was that Othello?" she asked, looking between the two.

Doug smiled sheepishly whilst Jane grinned awkwardly. "Surprise?"

"What did you do?" the blunette demanded.

"We made a wish," Doug explained, "You guys said you missed your pets so we wanted to surprise you. Was that wrong? We're so sorry if it was."

Evie smiled and hugged him, "You are so sweet. A little warning, next time, though? And how did you get him out? I thought the barrier would've stopped the wishes from coming true."

"Luck?" Jane suggested.

"Or a hole in the dome," Evie muttered, remembering when Carlos blew a small hole in the dome. "It must still be there or the area must be weak enough for things to be wished out of there."

"Uh...hole?" Jane asked, looking afraid, "You mean...when I broke the barrier?"

Evie shook her head, "No. Carlos." She didn't notice their shocked looks as she turned and opened her door again. Evie noticed that Othello was now sat perched gently on an old bird perch that Evie had found the day before her sixth birthday, knowing she was going to get a bird ("It's the most princessy sidekick there is!" her mother had told her). Othello yelled something extremely offensive at her as she walked towards him. She ignored him and spotted the crackers lying on her desk, next to the rude bird. Slowly, she opened the packet of crackers and fed Othello one. He yelled a few unpleasant things at her and then gobbled up the cracker with gusto. Evie laughed. "Oh, I missed you."

"So...are you happy?" Doug asked from the doorway.

Evie turned and nodded, "Yes. I really am. Thank you." She went over to him and hugged him tightly.

Jane smiled at them and left them to themselves. She then headed to the library where she did a bit of studying until she was pretty sure that R.O.A.R was about to finish, so she went over to Carlos's dorm and waited for him and Jay out there.

Jane heard them before she saw them.

"Oh come on, man. I was not that bad."

"First to go out, Carlos. You were the first to go out."

Jane giggled to herself and turned her head to see them heading down the hall. Carlos rolled his eyes at his friend and looked forward again, smiling brightly when he saw Jane standing outside his dorm.

"Hey," he said, gently kissing her when he reached her.

"Ugh, enough with the PDA," Jay complained, heading into the dorm. The words that came out of Jay's mouth when he walked in could've given Othello a run (or flight) for his money.

"Jay!" Jane scolded, before following Carlos in, a secret smile spreading over her face.

Carlos stopped dead when he looked inside. "Bee!" he cried, excitedly, running towards the cat who was lounging on his bed. Jane grinned as Carlos scooped up the little cat in his hands and held her to his chest.

"My eels!" Jay went over to a massive tank, that took up half the room.

"I didn't realise that they were that big," Jane said, slowly.

"Electric eels can get up to eight feet long," Jay told him, "These guys are only about seven feet."

"Only?" Jane squeaked, "But they can't stay in this room. You guys won't have any space!"

"How did they get here in the first place?" Carlos asked, putting Bee back down, smiling when he saw the old bed he'd made for her was lying on the floor.

Jane looked down at the ground, "I kinda wished them over?"

Carlos looked at her shocked but slowly a smile began appearing on his face, "You did?"

Jane didn't look up as she nodded. Carlos grinned and pulled her in for a hug. "You seriously did this for me?"

"She could've done it for me," Jay joked before Jane could answer.

Jane laughed and Carlos rolled his eyes. Jane looked up at Carlos and nodded, "Yeah. I guess so."

Carlos smiled at her brightly and tightened his hold around her, as her arms went around him.

"She's right, though, I can't keep these guys in here," Jay said, looking at Lagan and Derelict.

"Yeah, having a little moment over here, Jay!" Carlos said, playfully annoyed as he and Jane pulled out of the hug.

Jay shrugged unapologetically. Jane looked at the eels for a few seconds before nodding to herself.

"Biology lab. I'm sure they'd love to study them in there."

Jay didn't look sure, "They won't hurt them, will they?"

"Oh, Jay. You sound like you care," Carlos joked, as he sat down and stroked Beelzebub.

"Okay, him, they can dissect," Jay replied, pointing at his friend.

"I'm wounded!" Carlos exclaimed in mock hurt. Jane laughed and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend and his best friend.

"We'll get a few people to move them there," Jane told him, "And don't worry, I'll make sure they don't hurt them."

Jay smiled gratefully and turned back to his eels, smiling at them as well.

Jane sat down next to Beelzebub and went to stroke the cat. However, the cat didn't seem to like that and hissed at her before swiping its claws at her hands.

"Ow!" Jane jerked her hand back, inspecting the cuts on the back of her hand.

"Bee! No!" Carlos exclaimed, "Don't hurt her!" He then took Jane's hand in his own, "How badly does it hurt?"

"It stings," Jane admitted, hissing slightly. "But I'll be okay. It's just a little scratch."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realise she would be violent with other people." He gently lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed it, just below the scratch to avoid hurting her. A light blush dusted Jane's cheeks and then she stood up.

"I'll go talk to the biology teacher, see what she thinks."

Jay thanked her and then turned to Carlos once she was gone.

"Dude doesn't chase cats, right?"

Carlos groaned, "I hope not."

There was a scratching at the door and voice from the other side, "Carlos, let me in!"

Carlos sighed and stood up, "And we're about to find out." He opened the door and Dude came charging in.

"Boy, you would never believe what just happened-" Dude cut himself off when he saw Beelzebub, who hissed and stood up, tail fluffed out almost comically.

"Cat!" Dude ran after Beelzebub, suddenly barking, as the poor little black cat began jumping all over the room.

"Dude, no! Bee!" Carlos cried frantically, trying to stop one of them. Jay, reflexes quick from tourney, caught Bee by the scruff of her neck as she jumped past him and nearly into the eel tank. Carlos jumped on Dude and held him down.

"Dude, no! She's a friend."

"She's a cat!" Dude argued.

"She's my cat!" Carlos countered, "So you're not allowed to chase her."

Dude whined but reluctantly agreed, so Carlos got off of him and took the struggling cat from Jay. "Thanks, Jay."

Jay gave him a curt nod, "I don't think Dude should stay here, for Bee's sake. She's not going to like him much."

Carlos looked horrified, "What? Come on, Dude's one of my best friends. You know that!"

Jay shrugged, "I'm just saying what I would do if it were me. Dude's still the campus mutt, you know."

Dude whined, gently, "But, Carlos! I promise not to chase her."

Carlos thought about it for a few seconds before nodding, "As long as you promise."

"I promise!" Dude said, genuinely.

"Okay," Carlos gently put Beelzebub down and looked over at Jay, "I'm sure they'll be fine."

Jay shrugged, "Whatever, man. I just didn't want the room to get trashed or any of the animals to get hurt."

"Would you look at that, you do have a caring side."

Jay rolled his eyes, but aside from that, ignored the comment and looked back at his eels. Carlos turned back to Bee, only to find her hiding under his bed, glaring at Dude.

Carlos sighed and sat by the edge of his bed, quietly whispering reassurances to the frightened feline. A few moments later, the door opened and Jane walked in, the biology teacher following her. The boys greeted them politely and then, Jane gestured to the eel tank, as if it wasn't obvious where it was. "Well, these are the eels."

The teacher hummed thoughtfully and went up to the tank, looking at the eels as they swam around their confined space. "It would be interesting to study them I suppose," she concluded, straightening up and looking at Jay. "I think there is an unused biology lab where they can stay. I'm sure they'll interest many future marine biologists."

Jay nodded, "You'll take good care of them, right?" he asked, placing a hand on the tank. "I could easily come feed them and everything so that you don't have to add them to your work schedule."

The biology teacher nodded, "That would be great. And don't worry. No harm will come to them. We don't harm animals if we have the choice."

"Thank you," Jay replied, "Okay then, boys. Let's get you to your new home."

Carefully, Jay and the biology teacher picked up one end of the tank each and slowly made their way out, Jane following to help keep doors open. After settling the tank in the lab, Jay and Jane made their way back to the boys' dorm.

"She was surprisingly chill about the fact that there were eels in my room," Jay noted as they walked through the classroom hallway.

Jane smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I told her the story on the way and she seemed to think it was brilliant."

Jay laughed, "Nice."

When they got back to the room, the two of them walked in to see Carlos with his head and shoulders under his bed and one of his arms outstretched.

"Come on, Bee." He sounded desperate, "I promise he won't hurt you. Come on."

"She's still not wanting to come out?" Jane asked, causing Carlos to jump and bump his head.

"Ow," he groaned, pushing himself from under the bed.

"Sorry," Jane apologised, going over to him and sitting down next to him.

Carlos waved away the apology, rubbing the bump forming on his head, "She's terrified of Dude. I don't know how to convince her that he's not going to hurt her."

"You could learn cat?" Jay suggested, a small smirk on his face. The other two glared at him, causing him to throw his hands in the air in defence. Jane sighed gently and turned back to Carlos.

"I'm sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea," she said, "I just wanted to do something nice for you guys."

Carlos smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "You did more than that. These sidekicks have been with us most of our lives so to have them again is amazing."

"I should have thought this through," Jane replied, covering her face with her hands, "I kinda did this on a whim."

"Maybe," Carlos agreed, "But it was still sweet of you to do."

Jane smiled lightly before getting up, "Maybe I can find something in the kitchen that'll coax her out."

Carlos nodded, "Thanks."

Jane made to leave but just before she did, Jay grabbed her arm from where he was sat. She looked at him curiously.

"Thank you, Jane. Seriously. It means more to us than you'll ever realise," Jay told her, before letting go of her and turning back to his homework.

Jane was a little surprised but her lips twitched into a smile. She left the room, leaving the boys to their tasks.

When she'd returned with a can of tuna, she and Carlos were able to coax Beelzebub out from under the bed. Unfortunately, to make it work, Dude was no longer allowed in Carlos and Jay's room, as the cat would freak whenever she realised he was there. Dude was upset by this but he knew that he was still the campus mutt and found his old bed in the kitchens, lying on it with his head on his paws. The kitchen staff who used to feed him tried to cheer him up but nothing seemed to work.

Meanwhile, Jay went to the laboratory to see Lagan and Derelict every day to feed them. However, they were getting bigger, so Jay was worried that they may not fit in the tank anymore soon. Whenever he got back, though, he always had to do a double take when it was a black cat on Carlos's bed and not a dog. It just didn't feel right.

The boys weren't the only ones having trouble with their sidekicks. Evie and Mal were struggling to deal with Othello and his constant bad mouth. In the middle of the night, he would often squawk a profanity loudly, waking them both up. It didn't help that he seemed to particularly hate Mal, always calling her names. Not only that, but he'd also offended many of Evie's customers, so she was losing business and a few friends as well.

The last straw was when one of the extra-curricular biology students burst into the dorm, the biology teacher right behind him.

"Those stupid eels keep zapping us," the student exclaimed, "Even when we're not doing anything other than feeding them or just looking at them."

"Well, I mean, they are electric eels-" Jay began to defend them before the biology teacher cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Jay. But they have become a hazard. You need to find somewhere else for them." The teacher and student left, leaving Jay to sink in his chair, at loss for what to do.

The door banged open and Carlos walked in, looking annoyed. "He seriously won't even talk to me!"

"Dude?"

Carlos nodded, sitting on his bed. "Seems to think that I betrayed him by choosing Beelzebub over him."

"I have to find somewhere else for Lagan and Derelict," Jay informed him, twirling his pen in his hand.

Carlos sighed and put his head in his hands. The door opened once again and Jane walked in, eyes to the floor, hands covered in scratches.

"Jay, I am so sorry."

Jay shrugged at the apology. "I don't know where they're going to go. I guess I could release them into the ocean?"

"They're kinda too domesticated for that, don't you think?" Carlos replied, "I don't think I'd risk it."

Jay nodded and huffed. Jane looked up at the two boys, guilt written all over her face, "I am so sorry."

"Apologising isn't going to help us right now, so please, don't," Jay snapped, holding a hand up. Jane pressed her lips together and nodded. Carlos patted the space next to him and wrapped an arm around her shoulder once she sat down.

"I think we need to do something about Beelzebub as well," Carlos said, noting the scratches all over Jane's hand. "She's not happy here. She stays in my room all day, which she hates."

Jane nodded, but before she could say anything, the door burst open yet again, Mal and Evie storming in.

"He's got to go!" Mal was yelling, shutting the door behind her.

Evie huffed and spun on her, "You know how important he is to me! Jay, Carlos, help me out here!"

The two of them looked at each other, "Actually, Evie, if you're talking about Othello, maybe he should. We're going to look for new homes for Beelzebub, Lagan and Derelict too," Carlos told her.

Evie threw her hands in the air in exasperation, "Come on, guys!"

"Evie, how many customers have you lost because of him? And when was the last time Arabella spoke to you after Othello called her some unrepeatable things?"

Evie shook her head, "You don't get it, Mal. You don't have an evil sidekick. You have no idea how important they are to us."

Mal looked offended, "Excuse me?" Even Jay and Carlos's eyes widened at that.

Evie just sighed and turned away from Mal.

"Please don't fight!" Jane suddenly said. The girls looked at her like they just realised she was there. "This is all my fault. I promise I'll sort it out."

Evie frowned, "Your fault? But Doug-"

"He helped me. But it was my idea," Jane explained, "I'll figure something out, just please don't fight."

"E, it's my room too, but I can't be in there without being sworn at all the time. That bird hates me and admittedly, the feeling is mutual. Surely you can find something else for him?"

Evie sighed and sat down at the table next to Jay, "I don't want to let him go, even though he's causing me to lose customers, friends and sleep. He was my only friend for so long."

Carlos stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly. "Evie, I understand," he began, "But you have us now. You have to decide what's best for everyone."

Evie looked up at him and nodded, "You're right." She sighed and placed her head in her hands. Carlos kept rubbing her shoulder gently and Jay lightly squeezed her forearm. Mal went over to her and hugged her.

Evie dropped her hands and smiled at her friends before turning to Jane, "What did you have in mind? Send them back to the Isle?"

"No," Carlos jumped in, "We don't what will happen to them if we use magic again and we have no idea what may happen to them if our parents find them back."

Jane shrugged, "I don't know."

Suddenly the door opened, making them all look over confused to see Doug standing there with a laptop in his hands.

"There you are, Eve. I've been looking for you everywhere." He sat across her and showed her the laptop screen, "Now, I know you don't want to let go of Othello, but he is causing so many problems, so I found a menagerie nearby where he could be with other parrots and he would be free to fly around. Also, you could probably visit him whenever."

Evie smiled, "Your timing could not be more perfect."

Doug looked at her confused, before looking at everyone else who seemed intrigued by the computer screen. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Only us convincing her to let go of Othello and succeeding," Mal replied, a small smirk on her face.

"And us trying to work out what to do with the sidekicks," Jay added, "Does this place take eels?"

"And outdoor cats?" Carlos piped up.

Doug turned the laptop back to himself and typed in a few things, "Yes and...yes. They take both."

The owners of the sidekicks looked at each other before nodding and turning back to Doug.

"When can we take them there?" Evie asked.

"We could take them today if we get permission from FG," Doug replied. "And maybe I could get someone to come and help with the eels, seeing as they're, what, eight feet long?"

"Seven and a half, give or take," Jay replied, "But that'd be awesome."

Doug nodded and began typing something on his computer, "Hey, Jane," he asked, looking at the girl who was sat on Carlos's bed.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind getting permission from your mum?"

Jane nodded and smiled, "Not at all. Be back in a minute." And with that, she left.

Doug messaged the menagerie, asking them about the sidekicks. They were very happy to take them and to help transport the eels. Once they got permission and managed to cage up Bee and Othello, the gang all made their way to the menagerie, getting a lift in the pick-up-truck that'd come to pick up the eels.

Doug stood by Evie as she tearfully smiled at the parrot in his cage. Othello swore at her, making her laugh before she opened the cage and let Othello fly away to join the other parrots. "See you, old friend," Evie whispered. Doug put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder gently.

Over by the pond, Mal and Jay tipped out the tank, letting the eels swim away, splashing about as they did so. Mal placed a hand on Jay's shoulder. Having been partners for a long time before they met the other two, Mal knew the importance of the eels in Jay's life, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"You good?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah. They're going to be okay. They're safer here than with Dad."

Mal hummed in agreement.

In the outdoor cat sanctuary, Carlos held Beelzebub to his chest, stroking her lightly, "You're going to like it here, girl," he told her. The cat mewed, seemingly worried. "I'll be okay, don't worry."

Jane smiled as he placed the cat down. Beelzebub seemed almost reluctant to leave but walked slowly towards the other cats. Carlos smiled and turned to Jane.

"I think it's time to go."

Jane nodded and the two of them began to walk away. "Why were you telling your cat not to worry about you?" She asked, curiously.

Carlos chuckled, "Beelzebub is my self-appointed protector. She liked knowing I was okay."

Jane smiled, "Wow. Clever cat."

Carlos nodded, "Yeah."

Soon they were all back in Auradon Prep. Evie ran to go apologise to everyone who was offended by Othello, Jay to apologise to those who were hurt whilst studying the eels and Carlos to Dude, who was more than happy to go back to being Carlos's dog.

Evil sidekicks are for life and would never be forgotten, but they were something for the Isle. None of the VKs were the same people that they were on the Isle, so whilst they still visited the pets, they knew that they no longer needed them to feel loved, as they had each other and all their other friends.

 **Here you go TheGreatGodzilla! Sorry it took so long, but I hope you enjoyed**

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 **Grace: (I am too lazy to type out your new name XD) Love you too. I am so happy you loved this and I am always thankful for your help (even when I don't seem it).**

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 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	95. Of Lakes and Laughter (Jonnie)

The day was just like any other day in Auradon. The sun was shining brightly, the trees were softly sighing in the wind, the birds were singing a happy little song and the citizens of Auradon were going about their day as usual. It was just the end of the work day and people slowly started trickling home.

Over in Auradon Prep, the last few students were leaving the classrooms, many going off to find their friends or significant others, or just going to their room to take a nap or complete homework. One boy caught up with his friend, who'd just come out of the room next door and asked him something. Once he got his answer, he thanked him and headed the other way, to where he knew his girlfriend would be sitting with her friends.

Smiling when he spotted her at their group's favourite picnic bench, Jay headed over and placed his hands on her shoulders, making her look up and smile at him.

"Hey, babe."

"Hey, Lon," Jay replied with a smile, "You doing anything today?"

Lonnie thought about it for a second before shaking her head slowly, "No, not really. Why?"

"I got permission from FG this morning to take you out," Jay replied.

"Aww," the other girls who were sitting with Lonnie, cooed.

Jay chuckled as Lonnie subtly rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess my availability depends on where you're taking me."

Jay smirked, "It's a surprise."

Lonnie raised her eyebrows, "A surprise? What are you up to?"

"What, can't a guy just want to take his girlfriend on a surprise date?" Jay asked.

"Normal guys, sure. You, not so much," Lonnie replied.

Jay placed his hand over his heart, "I'm hurt. I think I'll just retract my invitation and go by myself. Or maybe I'll take Carlos."

Lonnie snorted before playing along, "Oh no, what have I got to do to get the invitation to this oh-so-intriguing surprise date back?"

Jay grinned, "I guess a kiss would be enough payment," he replied, leaning down.

Lonnie rolled her eyes before quickly pecking him on the lips.

"Get a room," one of the other girls said, pulling away from her conversation just long enough to say that.

Lonnie turned to her, eyebrow raised, "Seriously, Mal? How about you and Ben?"

Mal shrugged and laughed, "Eh, I suffer through it. I'm only in it for his crown after all." The laughter that ensued afterwards got a little louder when Ben, who had heard the conversation between Mal and Lonnie, came up behind Mal and grabbed her around the waist, causing her to let out a very un-Mal-like shriek.

Jay and Lonnie shook their heads at their friends, as Mal turned around glaring at Ben. When Lonnie glanced up at him, Jay jerked his head in a "Let's get out of here" motion. Lonnie smiled and got up, following Jay back to the castle.

"So, where are you taking me?" Lonnie asked, wrapping a hand around his arm.

Jay's sly smile slowly slipped onto his face again, as he shook his head. "Nope. Not saying anything."

"Ugh, come on. You've got to at least tell me whether I need to dress up. I do not want to be turning up somewhere under or overdressed."

"Fine, fine," Jay gave in, "As long as you're wearing something comfortable, you'll be fine."

"Wow, totally not vague. Thanks, babe," Lonnie deadpanned.

"That's all you're getting out of me," he replied.

Lonnie shook her head but knew that nothing else she could say would get any more details from him.

"So, a real date, huh?" Lonnie questioned, eventually, as they entered the dormitory wing.

Jay shrugged, "Yeah. Figured it was time we went on an actual date since the last time we went on an actual date was when I took you to the movies."

Lonnie laughed, "That was our first date."

Jay nodded, "Exactly."

Lonnie nudged him with her shoulder, "You know, we don't need to go on proper dates. I just enjoy spending time with you. Besides, we went to town the other week."

"And I want to take you out again," Jay replied, as they stopped in front of Lonnie's door, "Besides, I just got my driver's license yesterday."

Lonnie gave him a touched look, "And the first thing you want to do with it is take me out?" Her look then changed to confused, "How far are we going?"

Jay just smirked and nudged her towards her room, "I'll pick you up in half an hour."

Lonnie rolled her eyes and turned towards her room, her hand on the polished door handle before Jay said something.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Jay asked.

Lonnie looked at him, feigning innocence. "Nope," she shrugged before heading into her room and closing the door behind her.

Jay raised his eyebrows at the door and shook his head as he heard Lonnie's giggles from inside. "Rude," he commented loud enough for her to hear before departing, heading off to find the keys to the king's car where Ben had told him that he left them.

Half an hour later he was knocking on Lonnie's door. The door opened to present Lonnie, wearing a simple pair of jeans, a pink shirt and her hair in a French braid. The thing that made Jay smile the most about her outfit was the waist-length, simple black leather jacket that fit her form really well. Jay knew that jacket well, having been the one who bought it for her in the first place. He, himself, was wearing one his own leather jackets (today it was his red, sleeveless one).

Jay smirked a little, "Told you leather suits you," he commented, making Lonnie roll her eyes as she closed the door behind her.

"What can I say? My boyfriend sometimes has pretty decent style."

"Well, I'm dating you. I must do."

"Flirt," Lonnie stated with a wink.

"Just telling the truth," he replied.

Lonnie playfully rolled her eyes and stuck her hands in her jacket's pockets. "We going or what?"

"Demanding much?" Jay quipped, earning a light smack across the shoulder. He laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders before leading her out towards the garage where things such as scooters and the limos were kept.

Once there, he pulled the keys out of his pocket and twirled them around his finger before finding the right car and opening it. With a smile, he opened the door to the blue car, gesturing for Lonnie to get in.

"Did you steal the keys from Ben?" Lonnie asked, a slightly playful smile ghosting her face.

"Believe or not, he gave me permission to use it. But if I damage it or scratch it or get a speeding ticket with it, he's never letting me use it again," Jay explained. Lonnie laughed and got into the car, smiling at Jay as he closed her door and went in on the other side.

"Such a gentleman today."

"Only the best for my girl," Jay replied. A light blush dusted Lonnie's cheeks.

"That must be why I'm dating you."

Jay looked over at her and smiled gently before clicking his seatbelt into place and turning on the engine. Slowly and surely, they backed out of the garage and began driving off campus. Lonnie sat back comfortably and looked out the window as the grounds of AP slowly turned into the buildings of Auradon City. They passed by libraries, supermarkets, parks and homes, with people coming in and out of them and walking by them. Jay glanced over at Lonnie briefly, smiling softly at her content look as his eyes turned back to the road. He heard her sigh gently so he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was resting her elbow on the edge of the window and had her cheek resting on her fist. Her smile seemed to be subtle yet unmistakable at the same time.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Hmmm?" Lonnie's head moved off her fist as she was pulled out of whatever daydream she was in by his words.

"You seem a little out of it," Jay said.

Lonnie shrugged, "Just thinking, I suppose. Want some music?"

Jay nodded so Lonnie plugged her phone in and selected some music that both of them loved and enjoyed. Soon they were both bopping and singing along to the music, although there were a few times where Lonnie had to stop Jay from trying to change the music because "You've only just got your driver's license. You drive, I'll deal with the music."

A little while later, they drove on a forest road, slowly heading towards a clearing that was clearly used to park a few cars, three at most, as well as other vehicles. Lonnie looked at Jay curiously.

"You taking me out here so that no one will find my body?" she joked. Jay just shrugged before chuckling and shaking his head.

"Come on."

Jay got out of the car, Lonnie following suit, and he took her hand leading her into the forest. Lonnie followed happily, only just behind him so that he could still lead her. The forest was beautiful. The path was surrounded by tall trees, long grass and wildflowers that dotted around, playing peek-a-boo with each other. The wind gently whispered through the trees making the leaves perform a little dance. Bird called out to each other and the whole place smelled like life. Jay couldn't help but grin as he led her through the forest. Eventually, they came across a large canyon, with a bridge connecting the two sides. Jay stepped on and pulled Lonnie with him. She laughed as she joined him on the bridge. He let go of her hand and held onto the edge of the bridge. Lonnie looked at him suspiciously before finding out exactly what he was up to as he swung the bridge back and forth once, causing her to stumble into him.

"Couldn't help falling for me, hey?" he asked with a wink. Lonnie pushed him off her, with a shake of her head.

"Wow, make me fall and make a dumb joke in the space of five seconds? What did I do to deserve this?" She replied, slowly backing away from him.

Jay pretended to look offended, inching forward towards her. "I thought it was a very good joke."

"Yeah, sure it was," Lonnie replied, sarcastically. Jay shook his head and suddenly surged forward, making her turn and run down the bridge. She laughed as she stopped and he grabbed her around the waist.

"We shouldn't run on the bridge, it's not safe," she told him as she pulled out his arms, turning to him. Jay smiled and pulled her closer to him, nuzzling her nose gently before kissing her. Lonnie hummed happily before pulling back, smiling. She then slowly pulled out his arms, hand trailing from his shoulder to his wrist and grabbing his hand once she reached it. She then began to slowly lead him down the bridge.

"You don't know where we're going," Jay told her, as they made their way across.

"Well, unless you're planning to jump into the canyon, the only way we could be going is this way," she replied matter-of-factly.

Jay laughed and let her lead him, admiring the way her braid seemed to dance as they walked, bouncing up and down on her back. The black jacket shimmered in the sunlight, almost shining as bright as Lonnie's smile, which she threw over her shoulder at him.

"Tell me something," Lonnie said, turning so that she was walking backwards again so that she could look at him.

"Like what?"

"Anything, really. Maybe something about your childhood? You have to have some happy memories."

Jay smiled as he nodded, "Yeah, I have a few. When I was little, I used to go outside and play with my cousin. We used to spend hours chasing each other and wrestling. She used to beat me all the time. She was really strong. But eventually I beat her and I think I almost saw a hint of pride in my dad's face. It was one of the best days of my life."

Lonnie smiled, "I used to wrestle with my brother. He would let me win and tell me that that was what a gentleman was supposed to do. I didn't believe him. I was convinced that I was stronger."

Jay laughed, "He's two years older than you and has always been bigger than you. What on earth made you think that you were stronger?"

"I kept beating him!" Lonnie replied, "Besides, you're bigger than me and I've beaten you multiple times."

Jay gave her a look, "I'm barely bigger than you. I'm like an inch taller than you," he replied.

Lonnie shrugged and laughed, causing Jay to shake his head and laugh as well.

"Come on. Let's get over this bridge."

Still grinning, Lonnie turned back around and began heading to the far end of the bridge. When they finally reached the other end, Jay took the lead again. He took her hand and led her down a path, which did require stepping down some small ledges and trying not to trip over roots. Jay grinned brightly when she let him pick her up off one ledge and set her down in front of him. Finally, he got to the place where he wanted to be and turned to Lonnie, who was looking at the scene in front of them, with a raised eyebrow and an impressed look. They were by a lake that seemed to be glittering as the water reflected the sun and the trees that surrounded it gave it a secluded, safe feeling that was emphasised by the surrounding rocks. Moored to one of the rocks was a little, pearly-white row-boat, with two oars either side of it. Jay held out a hand to Lonnie.

"Ladies first," he said, as she took his hand and stepped in the boat. He untied it and pushed it off with the oars before slowly rowing them towards the centre of the lake.

"Well, this is romantic," Lonnie said, after a while, "What's gotten into you?"

"Are you complaining?" Jay replied, with a slight grin.

"Not at all," Lonnie replied, smiling back, "Just a bit different to usual."

"Then don't question it and enjoy it while it lasts," he told her, eyes lighting up with mirth.

Lonnie giggled and leaned back slightly. Suddenly she perked up as she looked across the lake. "Hey, check it out. Bal are on a date of their own!"

"Bal?" Jay questioned, looking over to where she was looking.

"Ben and Mal, obviously," Lonnie replied.

"Obviously," Jay deadpanned back. But sure enough, as he looked towards the pavilion, Ben and Mal were sat on a picnic blanket, chatting and smiling. Mal was obviously explaining something, by the looks of her hand movement, and Ben seemed completely enraptured by what she was saying (or possibly just by her. Jay often found himself listening to what Lonnie was saying not because it interested him but just because it was her and he could listen to her talk for hours about absolutely nothing).

Lonnie called over to them and waved but as she did so, the clasp of her charm bracelet came undone and fell into the water.

"Oh!" Lonnie exclaimed in shock. Jay reached out to grab the bracelet, as it was closer to him and he didn't want it to sink but as his wrist sank into the water and his fist closed around the bracelet, he realised too late that he'd leaned too far and seemed to only just register Lonnie's warning cry when he did so, because suddenly they capsized and the two of them were flung into the lake. The sudden coolness from the water shocked him at first but then Jay thrashed and kicked as he tried to get his head above water. His head came up and he heard a brief laugh before it was followed by a gasp of horror. He went under again and the water rushed around him. He wasn't sure which way was up. He flapped his arms uselessly as he tried to get himself back up. His head suddenly broke the surface again just in time for him to hear the words "-can't swim!" from Mal, followed by Lonnie crying out his name. He went under again. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. The water was going to suffocate him. Suddenly, he felt two arms around him and his head came up above water again.

"I've got you, Jay. I've got you. I need to kick your legs. No, gently, otherwise you're just thrashing and it'll be difficult for both of us." Lonnie's voice was in his ear and it slowly began bringing him back to reality. "That's it, Jay. I've got you." His mind calmed down and he listened to Lonnie, grounding himself with her voice. He registered the fact that her hands were holding him up, as she got him to kick enough to continue to move forward. As they got closer to the edge, Jay suddenly felt ground beneath his feet and slowly stood so that he could walk out. His hand slipped into his pocket and he unclenched his fist before looking at Mal, whose face was full of concern. A devious plan began concocting in his brain.

"Oh, Jay! Are you okay?" She reached out a hand to him once Lonnie let go of his waist, in order to help him step out of the water. Jay took her hand gratefully and then jerked his wrist. Mal went flying forward and landed in the water with a big splash. Lonnie seemed to get the idea and suddenly she swiped her hands in the water, flicking enough water to get Ben wet as well.

Mal stood up in the water, "Hey!"

"You laughed," Jay replied, a laugh of his own leaving his mouth. Mal shook her head and splashed him back.

"It didn't cross my mind you couldn't swim until I saw you in the water," she explained, holding her hands up to her face as Jay splashed her.

"Well, vengeance is a dish best served cold. And this water isn't exactly warm!" Suddenly Jay felt himself being splashed from behind and turned around to see Lonnie behind him, laughing like a maniac.

"Oh, that's it!" He chased after her before managing to grab her around the waist and spinning her on the spot. Lonnie shrieked with delight and laughed as Jay put her down in time to see Mal fall over, pulling Ben with her. Just as she was about to go splash them, Jay pulled her back and reached into his pocket.

"Hold on, Lon." He placed the item in her hand. "Here."

Lonnie smiled down at the charm bracelet in her hand before kissing Jay hard. Jay's hand found its way to her waist when suddenly, they were both doused in water.

The two of them turned and glared at the other two before chasing them and splashing them back. The rest of that afternoon was filled with shouts of laughter and splashes of water, all four teenagers being so soaked by the end of it that it was impossible to get any wetter. And then it began raining.

 **Voila! For you, DragonEmperor999. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Request Counter: 17**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I am so glad that you liked this one. And I hope this was soon enough (I know it wasn't but hush)**

 **BillaB: I don't think she means any harm by it. It's just a bit of banter between friends.**

 **Booksugar (Chapter 10): Thank you so much! That is so sweet of you! I hope that we can see more Devie as well, as it might give me more to work with (I struggle with Devie most).**

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 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	96. Hearts in Tune

Just as the sun rose over the city of Auradon, the city began to slowly wake up. The birds began chirping and the early risers began stirring. It was a beautiful morning, with only a cloud or two in sight as the sky faded from black to blue. The sunlight slowly crept over the emerald lawns, making them glow like they're dusted in gold. It made it's way up the buildings and gently trickled into gaps in the blinds and the curtains. Over at the boarding school, where many teenagers were still fast asleep, the light poured into the windows of one room where the curtains were wide open.

One of the residents of said room was undisturbed by the light, due to the mask she wore over her eyes, but the other was awake the moment the light hit her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled outside at the sun that was still rising. She sat up, ripped back the covers and swung her legs out of bed. Then, quietly, so as not to wake up her room-mate, Lonnie got changed for running and slipped out of the room. After doing her stretches, Lonnie set off on her jog, feet lightly pounding the ground as she went. Her music poured into her ears from her headphones. She waved to a few other early birds, fellow runners as well as others who liked to start the day as soon as possible. After about half an hour, she jogged back up to the school building and headed into the gym, where her partner, both work-out and romantic, was on the treadmill, jogging lightly as he waited for her.

"Hey," she greeted, as she pulled out her headphones. When Jay didn't respond, she tapped him on the shoulder, making him glance over and showing her that he had headphones in. Still running on the spot, Jay pulled out one headphone before turning off the treadmill.

"Hey," he said, once he stopped. He got off the treadmill and the two of them went about their usual work out routine. Once they finished and put the weights down, the two of them grabbed the towels that Jay brought and began wiping the sweat off of their faces.

"I have to train for an upcoming dance competition," Lonnie said, once they were sat down with their water bottles. "You okay if I don't come watch a whole bunch of sweaty guys beat each other up with sticks and shields?"

Jay smiled, "Don't act like you don't like watching your boyfriend beat all those prim and proper princes on the field."

Lonnie laughed, "It makes my day!" she said, sarcastically.

Jay laughed back before getting up, "Yeah, you know I don't mind. If you beat everyone else in that competition, it will have been worth it."

Lonnie rolled her eyes as she stood up as well. She quickly pecked him on the lips before heading back to her dorm for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

Once showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink shirt, her hair lying loose over her shoulders, Lonnie headed out to the cafeteria. Unsurprisingly, Jay was already there, digging into to his food but unusually he didn't look up when she got near to him (he was always super aware of people around him). When she sat down, she noticed that he had headphones in his ears again, seemingly concentrating on what was coming out of them, as he slowly nodded along to it. Lonnie smiled and tapped him on the shoulder lightly, letting him know that she was there so that he wouldn't be alarmed when he came back to earth and realised there was someone next to him. That didn't work and he still jumped a bit but he smiled with relief when he realised that it was just Lonnie. She mouthed a sorry before digging into her breakfast, not wanting to disturb Jay on whatever he was concentrating on. Jay smiled at her briefly again before once again concentrating on whatever was coming out of his earphones.

Lonnie glanced at Jay a few times as she finished her food. She'd never seen him concentrate on something like this. He was completely oblivious to the world around him and was eating his breakfast on autopilot as he frowned and nodded. Lonnie wondered what he could possibly be listening to but didn't ask, not wanting him to lose his focus, as it was clearly something important. Once he finished up, he pulled out one earphone and smiled at Lonnie before getting up and placing his dishes on the dish return without saying a word. He was then gone so fast that Lonnie barely had time to blink. Frowning she cleared her breakfast area up before heading back to her room.

Her room-mate, Olivia, had just finished getting ready for the day and was sat at her desk with some last minute studying laid out in front of her.

"You still studying for that chem test?" Lonnie asked as she began searching for her homework that she'd done the previous night.

"Yes. Under your reading book," she added, as she glanced up. Lonnie lifted the book she was reading the previous night and saw her homework there.

"Thank, Liv," Lonnie replied, grabbing it. She then sat down next to her and looked over at her notes.

"How can you even read those?" Olivia looked up and glared at her, making Lonnie back up with her hands up in defence, "Chill, it was just a question."

"Lonnie, I'm stressed enough about this test. Quips about my handwriting aren't going to help."

"Sorry, Liv. I didn't mean to cause you more stress. But you shouldn't be. You've studying for this test non-stop. You'll be fine," Lonnie reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Olivia relaxed a little and nodded.

"Okay. Maybe I should stop now," she laughed, putting down her pen.

Lonnie laughed and nodded in agreement. After Olivia had put her studying away, they two of them chatted until it was time to head to class. Lonnie quickly stopped by her locker to grab the books she needed, smiling briefly at the photo of Jay holding her hand up in the air in victory after their first R.O.A.R win with her as captain. That had to be one of her proudest moments and the way Jay grinned at her during that moment had been captured in the photo and somehow still managed to make her heart flutter, despite the fact that she was now dating the guy, as opposed to just crushing on him.

By the time the bell rang for first period, Lonnie was sat in her seat, already taking down notes from the board. She smiled at her friend who entered the classroom along with a few other last minute stragglers. The moment she sat down, her friend began gossiping about whatever rumour she'd heard that day and Lonnie giggled as she listened. Once class started though, her friend shut up and the two of them began taking notes down as the teacher talked, as it was unfortunately another lecture style lesson, meaning there was a lot of the teacher talking and a lot of note taking. Still, the lesson passed by fairly quickly, as did the rest of them. Lonnie spent lunch with some of her girl friends but made sure to wave at Jay as he entered the cafeteria. However, he had his headphones in again and didn't notice her. He didn't even seem to join in on any conversations with the tourney team, which made Lonnie a little worried as he tended to be one of the loudest and most talkative (and was often the one who started any shoving around that happened).

Once classes were over, Lonnie had to rush to dance practice. She and her duet partner had been working on their routine for weeks and they almost had it perfect. The two of them practised it over and over again, until they finally got it perfect, and then they practised some more. By the end, they were both sweating buckets and gasping for breath. With a high-five, the two of them hit the showers and went their separate ways.

Lonnie pulled her dance bag onto her shoulder and braided her wet hair as she walked by the music rooms, humming quietly to herself. When she passed by one of the rooms, where the door was cracked open slightly, which Lonnie knew was because of it needing fixing, she heard beautiful piano music coming from inside. She glanced through the crack in the door as she went by, catching a glimpse of the talented pianist. However, what she saw made her do a double-take. Now curious, Lonnie went over to the door and pushed it open a little further so that she could have a better view. The music danced across the room, filling the air with a beautiful tune as the players hands glided over the keys. Completely absorbed in playing, the pianist didn't notice when Lonnie opened the door completely so that she could watch properly. Once the music stopped, Lonnie decided to speak up.

"That was beautiful."

The pianist jumped out of his skin and whipped around, "Lon! How long have you been standing there?"

Lonnie giggled at her boyfriend's reaction, "Just a little while. I didn't know you could play."

Jay shrugged, looking down at the keys, "Not many people do. It's not exactly something I advertise."

"Where did you learn?" she asked, walking over to him and sitting down on the bench next to him. "And I thought you had practice?"

Jay budged up a bit to give her more room before speaking, "Coach cancelled," he explained quickly, "And I kinda taught myself. There was this old piano in my dad's shop. Apparently my mum could play and I thought that maybe Dad would be proud if I could play like her."

"You taught yourself?" Lonnie asked, shocked, "That's amazing!"

Jay shrugged again, "Just played some keys and worked out how to make a song with them."

"You have some real talent," Lonnie told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Did you teach yourself that piece? 'Proud of your boy', right?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah, I heard it the other day and downloaded the piano accompaniment so that I could learn it."

"Wow. Playing by ear is such an amazing talent," she said, full of awe, "Why that song?" Jay's hesitation made her back track quickly, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious but I don't mind if you don't want to tell me."

Jay smiled a little, "It's not that it's just...it's a song about a boy who wants to make his mother proud. And my entire life, I've done the same, trying to make my dad proud of me and hoping that my mum, wherever she was, was proud of me too." Lonnie suddenly fell very still aside from a slight tilt of her head to prompt him to go on. "My dad once told me that my mum played piano and that she played it beautifully. So I thought that if I learnt to play it too, then maybe he'd be proud of me and maybe he'd be a little bit more happy."

"Did it work?" Lonnie asked, quietly, fearing the answer.

Jay shook his head, "No. 'Your mother is not someone's footsteps you should follow, boy! She was a diamond in the rough, that woman!'" Jay imitated his father's rough, angry voice, waving his finger about in a stern way. "Of course, 'diamond in the rough' is one of the worst insults that Dad could give out, so I didn't play around him again. But I couldn't stay away either. Even though my father insulted my mother a lot, I felt connected to her when I played. So I played whenever he wasn't there."

Lonnie felt a pang of pity for him as he talked, wishing there was something she could say but what could she possibly say? She'd grown up surrounded by the love of both her parents who loved her no matter what. She couldn't possibly know what he'd been through. Not knowing what else to do, Lonnie placed her hand in Jay's and squeezed it gently. Jay looked up at her with a sad smile.

"Tell me about her," she said.

Jay smiled again and nodded, "I uh… I don't know much about her, only what I managed to piece together from my dad's rants and from people's whispers. From what I found out, she was sent to the Isle because she stole some bread. She was caught taking it from a market vendor and they managed to capture her immediately and put her on trial. She begged for mercy and Sultan Aladdin fought for her case, using himself as an example, but, as there was no proof that she could possibly be pure of heart like he was, she was sent to the Isle. I remember someone saying how strange it was that she never grew bitter because of it, unlike many of the unfortunate who had merely stolen something in order to survive. They blamed it on Aladdin's kindness. My father then caught her in his shop, when she was trying to find something that had been stolen from her. He never told me what it was but apparently it was something that was important to her. The way she begged for mercy and explained herself made Dad realise that she was just a diamond in the rough."

"Did he fall for her?" Lonnie asked, cautiously.

Jay shook his head, "I doubt it. I think he saw her as an opportunity. If he ever got off the Isle, maybe he could use her to go back to the Cave of Wonders and try again. So he probably just seduced her, which, as you can see," he gestured to himself, "apparently worked. My dad once told me that she would play the piano whenever she could, between stealing for his shop and stealing so that she could eat." Jay's fingers brushed against the keys of the piano as he spoke. "But once she had me, the piano stopped because suddenly she was stealing for my dad, stealing for the two of us to eat and trying to keep me quiet to avoid Dad's rages. She was gone by the time I was about two, so I don't really remember her. I don't even know what happened to her, if she left or got sick or...worse. But even though I didn't know her, I still felt the need to make her proud so I played and I played. I stopped playing after a while, long before coming to Auradon. I focused on my thievery and such instead. Then I came back here and after I chose good my head seemed to switch from trying to make Dad proud to trying to make mum proud." He stopped and looked down at his hands.

Lonnie took one his hands in hers again, "If she was a diamond in the rough, like you say she was, I think she would be very proud of you right now, not just for your piano skills, but also because of everything else you've achieved. You've turned yourself around, become good, beat everyone in tourney and R.O.A.R – except for me, obviously." Jay chuckled at this, "And you've proved that you're capable of loving people, despite the fact that love has always been something you were taught was weakness. You've shown how much you love your friends with the way that you protect them without hesitation. Any mother would be proud of you for everything that you've done since coming to Auradon. You've made some good choices that have made you into a better person."

"Like you?" Jay asked, looking her in the eye with a slight smile.

Lonnie smiled back, blushing a little, "Like me," she agreed, maintaining eye contact, "And I'm really proud of you, no matter whether or not others are."

Jay lifted the hand he was holding and pressed his lips to her hand, "I love you," he told her, lowering her hand again.

Lonnie's breath caught and her smile brightened. "I love you too," she replied, smiling. The two of them smiled at each other for a little while before Lonnie turned to the instrument in front of them, "So, what else do you play?"

Lonnie and Jay spent a good portion of the afternoon playing song after song, Lonnie joining in on the songs that she learnt through many years of piano lessons that her parents had made her take. It was an afternoon of laughter and it was a time they both wished could last forever

 **Here you go, silverwolf. I hope you liked it :)**

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	97. The One They'll Never Forget (Bal)

The sun began to rise over Auradon, bringing life into the sleeping city. Birds woke up and began singing, calling out to one another, the chirping of the crickets stopped as they went back to sleep, and pets began opening their eyes lazily, debating whether or not to go wake their owners from their slumber. A few of the early birds within the city had begun waking up and going about their day. The sun crept over the city, shining light wherever it could. The light hit the windows of Castle Beast, where a slumbering couple were wrapped up together.

The light gently trickled over Ben's face, causing him to groan sleepily as he woke up. Before he opened his eyes, he noticed three things: 1. He was on top of the covers and still dressed in his slacks and shirt, 2. there was a weight on his arm and 3. this was definitely not his room. The bed felt different. Slowly he opened his eyes to see that he was indeed still dressed and lying on top of the covers, but it was his fiancée's bed and the weight on his arm was the woman in question. The twenty-one-year-old purple haired girl was facing him, her eyes shut and her mouth slightly parted. She was curled towards him, also still dressed, and one arm was draped over his waist, whilst the other was clutched near her heart. Judging by where his arm was, Ben realised that he must have had it wrapped around her shoulders before they fell asleep.

With his hand, Ben gently reached up and brushed a hair of Mal's cheek with a feather-light touch. He sighed gently as he dropped his arm back to his side. He didn't want to wake her so he stayed still as he watched her sleep. He smiled knowing that in two weeks time this would be normal. They'd wake up in each other's arms every morning and he'd be able to watch her be at peace for a few moments, a rare thing due to the craziness of their lives and the struggles she's faced for as long as she could remember.

Ben sighed again when he remembered why they were lying on top of her bed, fully clothed. They'd had a fight the day before. A big one. It had nearly caused them to split up. Mal was upset (and rightfully so) because she felt like she was never going to come first to him, that he'd always put the kingdom before her and that she'd always have to step aside and accept this fact. They'd fought for a while before both of them went their separate ways to cool off. Once he'd calmed down, Ben had gone to her room and knocked on the door gently. She'd let him in and he'd seen that it was clear she'd been crying. They then sat down and talked about it for hours. Mal had told him that she knew that sometimes the kingdom has to come first and Ben had reassured her that if he had any other job, that she would come first every time. Unfortunately, with his job, it was impossible. The two of them talked and talked till the sun had long disappeared and the stars were twinkling brightly. They must have fallen asleep at some point which is why they ended up the way they were. Ben smiled at Mal again, knowing that because they talked about it, they were going to be okay and in two weeks, they will be married.

Mal stirred suddenly and she hummed sleepily. "Stop staring at me," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Ben raised an eyebrow as her eyes fluttered open, "You have a sixth sense or something?"

Mal chuckled drowsily, "I just know you very well."

Ben chuckled as well, "I should hope so. You're marrying me in two weeks. Be a bit awkward if you didn't."

Mal smiled at him as her eyes fluttered shut again, "Yeah," she replied before gently pushing him away, "It's too warm for cuddles."

Ben pouted but gently removed his arm, which had gone to sleep, from behind her. He rubbed it, trying to get some feeling back into it as he watched Mal turn over and face away from him. He shook his head before leaning forward and giving her a sloppy big kiss on her cheek, making her whine and swat at him. "Let me sleep!" she complained.

"Come on, Mal, it's a beautiful morning. Get up," he replied, gently kissing her shoulder.

"Are you going to be this persistent every morning once we're married? Because that's a deal breaker," she muttered, turning to face him again.

Ben just grinned at her, before sitting up and glancing out of the window. "Wow," he breathed, "Would you look at that sunrise?"

"We were up until the middle of the night and you're telling me you woke me up at sunrise?" Mal demanded, sluggishly, "You're mean."

"I didn't wake you up," Ben argued, still smiling as he poked her gently.

"Well, you're not letting me get back to sleep," she complained, swatting his hand again, but she dragged herself into a sitting position, rubbing her face gently as she looked outside. "You're right though. It's beautiful."

Ben nodded before looking at her and gently kissing her cheek. Mal pushed him away gently, "You have morning breath." Ben chuckled and breathed on her face causing her to duck away covering her nose. He laughed again before getting up and stretching. "We have a meeting in a few hours. I'm going to get changed into some fresh clothes and you should probably do the same."

Mal sat up and looked down at her green jeans and a purple jagged sleeved shirt that she'd been wearing since the day before, "What, you mean the council won't want to see me in casual clothes that I slept in?"

Ben rolled his eyes and laughed again before leaving the room, telling her over his shoulder that he loved her. He went into his own room next door and changed into a fresh shirt and trousers before brushing his teeth and combing his hair. Once ready he went back to Mal's room and knocked gently.

"Hold on!" She called out, much to his surprise (he'd honestly thought she'd go back to sleep). The door opened to reveal Mal in a dark purple shift dress, her face free of make-up and her hair still a bit of a mess. "Perfect timing, zip me up?" Mal turned around and moved her hair out of the way. Ben stepped a little further into the room and slowly began to zip her dress up, fingers lightly brushing over the scars that littered her back. Once done, Ben gently shifted her hair so that it fell down her back once again. Mal turned around and smiled at him before heading over to her vanity desk and applying the little bit of make-up that she wore every day. Ben closed the door behind him and stood there for a bit, just admiring her.

"You really need to stop staring at me. If I wasn't engaged to you, I would think you were some kind of creep," she informed him, as she glanced over at him before grabbing her hairbrush.

"Good thing we are engaged then," he replied, grinning slightly. Mal rolled her eyes lightly before her phone went off, making her get up and pick it up.

"Hey, E. Yea-n-Evie chill!" Mal looked over at Ben, rolling her eyes, making him chuckle lightly. "I'm fine. I've been at the castle. I would've, but I didn't realise that I was staying over, it just happened." There was a pause in which Ben could hear Evie chatting rapidly, although he couldn't make out what she was saying. "You could just drop it off, you know? Yes, I know you're busy. Okay, I'll come pick it up, I have time. Don't worry, it probably won't happen again. There are only two weeks left anyway. Okay, okay. Yeah, okay. Will do. Okay, bye!" Mal huffed as she hung up. "Evie went to wake me up and realised I wasn't there so she went into absolute panic mode."

Ben shrugged, "Understandable. I'd probably panic if I didn't know where you were. What are you having to go pick up?"

Mal sighed, "I accidentally ripped one of my blazers and it was the one I was planning on wearing today so she's fixed it for me. I'm going to go get it once I'm ready."

Ben raised an eyebrow, "What is it with you women and taking so long to get ready?"

"Make-up, more hair, actually have to think about what we're wearing as we're more likely to be judged, accessories" Mal replied, ticking them off on her fingers. "You men have it much easier."

Ben rolled his eyes but smiled as she went back to her vanity table and opened her jewellery box, taking out a cord necklace with a single pearl attached to it and attaching it around her neck. She then grabbed a bracelet. She struggled with the clasp before a bit before turning to Ben. "Make yourself useful and help me out here, please?"

Ben smiled and went over to her, clasping the bracelet for her. Mal smiled and pulled her hand back, the ring on her finger catching Ben's eye and making him smile a little bigger. Mal saw where his eyes were and grinned at him. "Two weeks till there is another one there," she told him, making him look up at her, "and an identical one on your own finger." Ben grinned brightly and nodded.

"I know. I can't believe it's actually happening."

"Well, we've been planning it for nearly two years. Believe it."

Ben smiled and nodded, "Almost time now. I can't wait."

Mal chuckled and turned to him, "We need to get through your birthday first though."

Ben shrugged, "Trust me, the only thing that'll be going through my mind when I wake up on my birthday is 'six days till I get to marry the most amazing woman in the world.'"

Mal rolled her eyes, turning her back to him as she rifled through her earrings. "You're a dork."

"Yet, you still love me," Ben replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his chin on her shoulder. Mal slipped some earrings into her ears before turning her head to kiss him gently. He grinned at her and kissed her again. Mal giggled a little and pulled away.

"Okay, shoo. I gotta go get this blazer from Evie before she has my head."

Ben pouted but pulled away and let her go. Mal smiled at him and gave him one last kiss before heading out of the room.

"Wait, what about breakfast?" Ben called after her just before she left.

"I'll be back in half an hour or so. I'll take the scooter. It's still pretty early so breakfast won't actually be served for a while," she told him with a smile, "I'm not going to skip, don't worry." And with that, she left, grabbing her leather jacket from the day before off the hook on the back of her door as she went.

Ben smiled and placed his hands in his pockets as the door closed behind her. He then turned and saw the photo board that hung near her bed. He went over to it and smiled at the dozens of photos of her and Evie, her and Carlos, her and Jay, and many more of her and her friends, as well as a few of just her friends and one of Dude, the dog, who was now living in Castle Beast until Carlos could afford his own place that allowed dogs (his and Jay's flat at the moment did not). Scattered among all the photos of their friends were photos of them with his parents and, of course, lots of photos of the two of them, mainly taken by either Jane or Evie (Jane loved capturing memories forever and Evie just thought that they were adorable). Ben smiled at the multitude of photos of that were on that board. One his favourite photos was a photo they'd taken together on one of their 'normal' days (days where they went out and acted like a completely normal couple, without the weight of the kingdom on their shoulders). They'd gone to the fair and were riding on a Ferris wheel. It stopped while they were at the top, so Mal saw it as a perfect opportunity to take a selfie. They were grinning brightly and the city was stretched out behind them, making them feel on top of the world.

Checking his watch, Ben decided to go inform Mrs Potts that Mal was also here for breakfast, and then go read a book for a bit. Whilst he sat in the library his phone lit up, displaying a text from Mal to tell him that she was on her way back and to apologise for being so long (apparently Evie wanted to check some final measurements for the dress). Ben quickly replied then smiled at his background, which was a selfie Mal had taken on his phone when she'd nicked it off him for a joke. Ben got up and put his book away before heading down to the dining room, where breakfast was being served for himself and Mal, as his parents had moved out months before. It had been kinda lonely since his parents moved out so on the days where Mal didn't stay over, he would have one of the servants deliver the food to the office so he could eat and work at the same time. As Mrs Potts brought out the food, Mal came in, a coat hanger with a clothing cover on hand, her leather jacket in the other. Ben smiled as she sat down and hung her stuff on the back of the chair.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," Ben replied, before thanking Mrs Potts as she put the food on the table before them. Mal smiled her thanks then turned to Ben, still smiling, as Mrs Potts left the room. They began to lightly chit-chat, talking about things that were happening with their friends, things that were happening in college, and, of course, they talked a bit about the upcoming wedding.

"I have to admit, I'm almost glad to move out," Mal told him, "Between our wedding and Doug and Evie's, the flat is just wedding-mania. No matter where I turn, there is some kind of reminder that we're getting married, or that they are."

Ben chuckled, "Well, not long now. Then you just have to focus on your maid of honour duties, as opposed to your maid of honour duties and your bridal duties."

Mal raised an eyebrow, "You are aware that my coronation is two weeks after the wedding, right? I'll be focusing on that first before I can just be Evie's maid of honour."

"Except you'll also have responsibilities as my queen," Ben replied, smiling at the words "my queen".

"Well, I'm sure I can convince the king to lessen my responsibilities so that I definitely have time for any emergency wedding plans that Evie has in mind," Mal said with a wink.

Ben smiled, "Might take quite a bit of convincing. It's a big job."

Mal smirked playfully, "You'd be surprised at my persuasiveness."

The side of Ben's lip quirked up. The continued to finish their meals in comfortable silence. Once Mrs Potts had come back and collected their dishes, the two of them headed back to Mal's room so that she could hang up her leather jacket and take her blazer out of the clothing cover.

Mal slipped on the white blazer before smiling at Ben and taking his hand. Ben smiled back and squeezed her hand before the two of them headed to the council room, where the Court of Royalty was assembled. Ben let go of Mal's hand as they approached the door, as they need to present themselves as professionals. The doors were opened for them and Ben entered first, Mal hanging a few steps behind. The court stood out of respect as Ben entered and waited till he was seated, with Mal at his right hand, before they all sat. Ben greeted them all and began the meeting. As they sat through, discussing everything on the agenda, Mal noticed a few people side-eyeing her, especially when she spoke up. She knew that some people still did not approve of her, but none of them spoke out against, much to her relief. She was getting tired of constantly having to defend herself in every meeting she went to. She caught Queen Leah's eye across the table and smiled lightly, which was returned. The two of them had become close in the past few weeks. As the wedding had drawn nearer, Mal had decided to mend things between her and Leah by seeking advice from her. She told the older woman how she respected and admired her and explained to her about her own fear of not being a good enough queen. Queen Leah had been shocked and touched by this and decided to help Mal, as she had proven herself over and over again and Queen Leah knew she had no reason to hold anything against her. Now, the mother of Aurora was a source of comfort for the future queen, stepping in to help her and give her advice when she was too afraid to approach Belle.

The meeting was surprisingly short and soon Ben dismissed everyone. Once everyone was gone, Ben offered a hand to Mal, which she took as she stood up with him. As soon as they were stood up, Ben pulled her towards himself and caught her lips in a gentle kiss. Mal giggled as she parted from him.

"Ben, we're still in our workplace. That's not very professional," she jokingly chided.

Ben smirked and kissed her again, "I don't care. Today has been so perfect."

"It's only the morning," Mal told him, grinning.

"I got to wake up next to you, I ate breakfast with you instead of alone in my office, and I got to spend a bit more time with you than usual. And soon this is going to be normality." He kissed her again, "I love you so much."

Mal threaded her hand through Ben's hair, "I love you too." She leaned up to him till her lips were next to his ears. "Catch me," she whispered. Ben's face contorted in confusion for a split second. Mal broke free of his arms and began running the moment she said the words, giving her a few seconds headstart whilst Ben got over his shock.

"You cheat!" Ben called after her as he took off after her. They raced down the corridors, Mal always staying a few steps ahead of Ben, just out of his reach. The servants they passed raised their eyebrows in shock but said nothing about it. Mal ran out in the gardens and hid behind a bush, giggling breathlessly. When Ben got near her, she shot out from it and kept running, still laughing as Ben raced after her, also laughing. Finally, he caught her and grabbed her from behind and twirled her around. Mal shrieked and they were both laughing blissfully when he put her down. Mal twisted in his arms and threw her arms around his neck as she tried to catch her breath from all the giggling. Neither of them could stop grinning. Ben couldn't help but kiss her again, pulling her closer as he did so. Mal hummed happily as her hands made their way into his hair. They slowly parted and smiled at each other, then Mal laid her head on his chest, hands sliding from his hair down to his back. Ben's hands settled on the small of her back and his cheek rested on top of her head. The two of them stood there in bliss, enjoying the peace that they knew would not last long.

After a bit, Ben slowly pulled away from the hug, an apologetic look on his face. "We need to get some work done."

Mal pouted and sighed before nodding. "Okay. I guess if we do it now, we'll have more time together this afternoon."

Ben smiled and nodded and then took Mal's hand in his own. The two of them began walking back to the office. Once there, they sat down and began going through the work that needed doing, occasionally having people come in for quick discussions before leaving again. The two young adults ate their lunch whilst they worked, wanting to deal with the work they had to do. They both rolled their eyes at how much of it was them having to sign off on wedding details. It honestly felt like the whole country was involved in the planning, especially with the floods of gifts that were going to arrive from each region according to Ben. The hours ticked by slowly and it was soon late afternoon. Ben put down his pen and began tidying away his work.

"We've been working long enough today," he explained to Mal who looked at him questioningly, "How about we go do something?"

"I should probably head home," Mal said, neatening up her side of the desk.

Ben pouted, "Can't you stay?"

Mal laughed, "You sound like a child," she told him, getting up. She interlocked her fingers around his neck as she stood over him, "I need to go home. I'm supposed to be cooking tonight because Evie's super busy and I have some stuff I need to do."

"We've been having such a good day," Ben argued, "I don't want it to end so early."

Mal chuckled and bent down to kiss him, "Two weeks, and then you won't be able to get rid of me."

Ben smiled up at her, "True. Can't come soon enough."

Mal smiled back and kissed him again. "Now, I gotta go. Lo-" She was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open and Debrah coming in looking a bit frantic.

"Your Majesty, my Lady, I just received a message from Yen Sid," she said, "Apparently there is some sort of emergency on the Isle and he needs both of you."

Mal and Ben glanced at each other, then Ben stood up slowly, removing Mal's hands from his neck as he did so. "Did he say what the emergency was?"

Debrah shook her head, "No sir, it just says that it's vital that you two come."

"Thank you, Debrah," Mal said, nodding at her. Debrah curtsied quickly and left the room. "It's a trap."

"You don't know that," Ben argued.

"It's too vague!" Mal exclaimed.

"Maybe he was afraid of what would happen if it was intercepted. I say we go," Ben began heading to the door.

"But what if it is a trap? You could get seriously hurt!"

"And what if it's not? Someone else could get seriously hurt! We're going!"

Mal yelled in frustration. She then took a deep breath and huffed, "Fine! But I'm calling for back up. And we're getting changed first. I want to reduce as many risks as possible and blending in is the best thing for that."

Ben agreed and the two of them walked to their respective rooms as fast as they could. When Ben emerged from his room, he was surprised to see Mal standing there with her foot tapping impatiently, face free from makeup, dressed in ripped jeans and a leather jacket.

"What happened to girls being the ones who take forever to get ready?" Mal asked, a little teasingly.

"Unlike you, this is not my everyday wear, so I had to dig to find it," he shot back, as he pulled his black, fingerless gloves on. "Come on, let's go."

Mal nodded and pulled her phone out as they half ran towards the garage where their scooters were.

"What are you doing?" Ben demanded.

"Calling for back up!" she snapped as she put the phone on speaker.

" _Hey Mal_ ," came a voice from the other end.

"How fast can you give my phone access to the dark web?" Mal asked, not even bothering greeting him.

" _About two minutes. Want to bring it over now_?"

"No time. Any chance you can do it without my phone being physically there?"

" _Yeah, probably but it could take up to twenty minutes_."

"That'll have to do. I'll have to be in Auradon whilst you do it though, right?" Mal asked, as she and Ben stopped and Ben opened the door to the garage.

" _Yeah, you'll have to be in Auradon. Wait, why? Where are you going? Stupid question._ Why _are you going?"_

"We got a message from Yen Sid saying that there is an emergency on the Isle. He didn't say what it was though," Ben explained as they retrieved their helmets.

 _"Trap!"_ Jay had joined the conversation.

"That's what I said," Mal agreed.

 _"Or he could've been worried about interception,"_ Carlos reasoned.

"Which is what I said," Ben put in.

"And why we're going," Mal added, "But I refuse to go without backup. If you don't get any word from me after about, maybe, two hours, then send backup. Make sure they can fit in though, make it a rescue mission, not an attack. We don't want to risk lives."

 _"How are we supposed to hear from you?"_ Jay asked, _"There' s no signal on the Isle."_

 _"That's what the Dark Web is for, Jay,"_ Carlos sighed, exasperatedly. (They heard Jay silently tell himself "Duh!") " _Okay, two hours and if we hear nothing, then we'll get Evie and come get you. Possibly Lonnie as well."_

"And maybe Uma, Harry and Gil," Mal said, getting on the bike. "Might need all the help you can get."

 _"Okay, but that big of a party might not work out so well."_

"Divide and conquer."

 _"Good point. Right, the Dark Web should be on your phone in fifteen minutes. Don't go over the barrier until I give my say so."_

"Got it. Thanks, Carlos," Mal said before hanging up. Ben nodded at her and the two of them drove out of the castle, Mal leading. They arrived at the edge of the water and waited for Carlos's text. Once they got it, Mal quickly performed the spell she needed on the scooters and they drove over the sea. Mal yelled the incantation to briefly open the barrier enough for them to get before it shut again.

The two of them drove to Uma's old turf and hid their bikes. Ben was about to start walking but Mal pulled him back. "Ben, seriously, don't just go running in. We need a plan."

"Find Yen Sid, sort out the emergency, leave," Ben replied, as though it was completely obvious.

"What is it with you at the moment?" Mal demanded, "As soon as I said that it might be a trap, you've been really short and sarcastic at me."

Ben went to say something but bit his tongue and sighed, "I'm sorry. I just don't see why you're insistent that it's a trap."

"To prepare for the worst," Mal replied, "I've been back enough times to know that everything always goes wrong."

Ben sighs again, "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Hey," Mal said, cupping his cheek, "It's going to be okay. Whatever happens, we'll win. We always do."

"Just promise I won't lose you in the process," Ben asked, looking at her with his wide, hazel eyes.

"You won't. Come on, let's go find out what this emergency is, okay?"

Ben nodded and then Mal led the way again, "Wait, we don't have a plan," Ben said.

"Plan always goes wrong. Also, slouch for once in your life. You look too regal. I thought Evie taught you how to be a villain." Ben obeyed and slouched slightly. Then, he tapped her shoulder and showed her her phone. Mal rolled her eyes whilst he smirked at her and took it back from him, slipping it into her pocket, "Very funny."

The two of them walked quickly and tried to stay in the shadows as much as possible. There were whispers among people who had seen her but she just glared at them, making them cower or scurry away as fast as they could. She was clearly still feared and her eyes could still do the scary, glowing thing on the Isle. They made their way towards the Sorcerer's home, Ben relaxing more and more, the closer they got. Mal, on the other hand, seemed to get more tense. As Yen Sid's home came into view, Ben looked at Mal and smiled.

"See, not a trap."

"I'm afraid your wrong Beasty Boy." Figures emerged from the shadows.

Mal shot him an 'I-told-you-so' look before turning back to the newcomers. "Ginny, Maddy. How nice to see you," she said sarcastically. Ben heard someone behind him and turned so that he was standing back to back with Mal as other figures appeared from the shadows. Mal glanced over her shoulder. "Jade. Harriet. Where's your crew, kelp face?" Harriet just growled. "Anthony! Wondered when you'd turn up." She turned back to Ginny Gothel and Maddy, "Well, I'm flattered. Five against two? You must really underestimate your own strength."

"And you must overestimate yours," Ginny replied. "Just yourself and Beasty Bear? You can't use your magic and he's about as dangerous as a teddy bear."

"What do you want, Ginny?" Mal asked, clearly getting bored of the smack talk.

"Auradon."

"Over my dead body," Mal spat.

Ginny smirked, "You heard the woman." Suddenly the other four came at them. Ben found himself locked in hand-to-hand combat with Jade, which was proving difficult as she appeared to be just as strong as her cousin. Next thing he knew, something was thrown into his face and something smacked him in the back of his head. He vaguely heard Mal call out his name before everything went black.

When he regained his consciousness, before opening his eyes, Ben noted that 1. he was on the hard ground, 2. his hands were chained to the wall behind him and 3. someone else was in the room. There was shuffling nearby. Opening his eyes, Ben realised that the room was completely dark, pitch black in fact. He couldn't see anything. He heard the other person stir a bit more. A faint whimper reached his ears and he was pretty sure he knew who it was.

"Mal?" he questioned.

"Ben." He heard chains rattling as she moved, presumably closer.

Ben turned his head towards her voice, "I can't see a thing," he said, "It's pitch black in here."

"Ben," Mal replied slowly, "It's not dark in here."

Ben let the words set in. "But then why can't a see?"

He heard Mal's sharp intake of breath. "Oh, Ben!" she almost wailed. "It must have been whatever Anthony threw at you."

Ben sank back. "I'm blind?" The idea of not being able to see was a difficult thing to swallow. "I can't be..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"It might be temporary," she reassured him.

"As might your life, so I wouldn't cry about your eyesight," A cold voice sneered.

"Ginny," Mal growled. Her chains clanked again. Ben guessed she'd stood up, from what he could sense of her presence. "You know you're not going to get it."

"Oh, I don't know. I can be quite persuasive when I need to."

"You won't break us. We're never going to give Auradon to you."

Ginny Gothel cackled, "I'm not asking _you_ , Mally. _You_ don't have the power to give it to me. Only _he_ does."

Ben snarled as he slowly stood up, "I wouldn't give it to you if my life depended on it."

"Maybe," Ginny said, thoughtfully, "But what if _her_ life depended on it? Would you give it to me then, Benny?"

Ben growled and pulled at his chains.

Gothel's daughter giggled, "How about we test that little theory, shall we?"

"Ben, no matter what happens, don't give her what she wants. _No matter what_."

Ben heard footsteps heading towards Mal. "Don't touch her. Don't you dare touch her." He heard the clanking of chains and what sounded like Mal trying to attack someone before being overpowered, causing her to cry out in pain. "Mal!"

" _No matter what_ , Ben!" Her voice was getting further away and it was heard among the scuffing of shoes ('she must be resisting,' he thought). "I love you." This was followed by a cry of pain and a thump as well as the sound of restraints being clicked into place. Ben had no idea what was happening but it scared him.

"Mal!" Suddenly Mal screamed the most bone-chilling, blood-curdling scream he'd ever heard in his life. It echoed through his head and he almost collapsed. "MAL!" He began tugging and pulling at his chains, determined to get out. "MAL!"

"You can stop her pain, Benny, just give me Auradon. That's all it would take," Ginny mocked.

Ben pulled at his chains again but said nothing.

"No? Suit yourself."

Mal screamed and this one lasted so long that Ben feared why it ended when it finally did.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop her pain?"

Mal's cry of pain sounded off the walls again making Ben tug harder at his restraints. "Mal!" He tugged and tugged at the chains holding him down. "Let her go!"

"Give me the keys to Auradon!" Ginny Gothel replied, "Or Mally dear here gets it."

"Don't do it, Ben! Your kingdom comes fir-" She was cut off with a scream of agony.

"Shut your mouth, Dragon, or I'll cut it off!"

Ben pulled and pulled at his chains but they would not give way.

His kingdom or Mal. He had to choose which one was more important to him. But how could he?

"Don't do it, Ben! Auradon is more important than me!" Her voice was hoarse from the screaming and she was sobbing as she spoke.

Ginny cackled. "Come now, Benny. Do you really think power is more important than the woman you love? Tsk, tsk. And I thought you were a hero."

Mal screamed again.

"Your kingdom for her life, Benny! Go on, make the trade." It was lose-lose. Whatever he chose, he would lose something important to him.

Ben sank to the floor, crying as he sat on his knees, giving up with the chains. "Okay, I'll do it. But let her go! Please!"

Ben heard the sound of Mal's restraints falling to the floor and his cell door opening. He felt Mal's body collapse into his arms and he wrapped them around her tightly.

"Ben you shouldn't have chosen me. What about your people?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Ben hugged her to himself tightly, "We'll work it out. I can always try to take my kingdom back. But if I lost you, I'd never get you back. And I can't lose you." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her into him as she sobbed.

"The one time I want you to put the kingdom first," she half-joked.

"I'm sorry," Ben whispered, kissing her head again.

"You two done?" Ginny's voice came, "You make me sick. Now get me off this Island."

"How?" Ben questioned, "I'm blind, Mal's weak and we don't have a barrier remote."

Ginny sighed, "Of course you don't. But Yen Sid does and I imagine he's been taken care of by now."

Mal gasped and Ben's grip around her tightened slightly, "You'd better not have harmed him."

"I'm sure Harriet's crew are taking good care of him."

Ben snarled at her. "The point remains that there is no way to get you off this island even with the remote. I can't drive blind and Mal can barely move, let alone drive a scooter."

Ginny huffed, "Dammit, Anthony," she muttered. Suddenly a commotion was heard. "What's going on out there? Hey! How did you get here?" There was a sound of loud clashes and grunts. Someone came towards Ben and he felt someone try to grab Mal.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" he roared, pulling away from the person standing there.

"Woah, Ben! It's me!" Ben recognised the deep voice.

"Jay?" He loosened his grip on Mal, who hadn't stirred since Ginny told them that Yen Sid was with Harriet's crew. Ben feared the worst.

"Who else?"

"I'm blind, Jay. I can't see anything."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, "Okay. I'm going to take Mal from you now. Harry and Uma are outside waiting for us."

"Is she…?" Ben couldn't finish the question.

"She's breathing. She's just unconscious," Jay told him. Suddenly there was a clinking of keys and the shackles fell from Ben's wrists. He slowly stood up, shaking a little. Jay put a hand on his shoulder, slowly leading him out. Ben stuck out a hand and used the walls to help hold him up and to help him know where he was walking. They walked slowly as Mal was weighing Jay down a bit. Eventually, Ben heard the sound of people talking and immediately recognised Harry's British accent.

"Bloody hell." He heard someone rushing over to Jay, presumably to help him carry Mal.

"Something's wrong with Ben," It was Uma who said it.

"Blind," Jay answered. Ben felt another hand on his arm and felt Jay let go of his shoulder.

"I got him," Uma said, getting a good grip.

"Thank you," Ben said.

They slowly made their way through the Isle, Ben leaning on Uma for support. He heard Harry threaten a few people who tried to come near them. At one point, he heard another familiar voice, Evie's, saying something about a hospital, and then felt himself be guided into a car. Must be the limo, he guessed, smelling the leather. He was gently pushed into a seat and Mal was laid across his lap.

"Yen Sid," Ben said suddenly, "Harriet's crew has him. We have to-"

"Ben, it's fine. We got him out," Carlos reassured him, "Lonnie basically held off the entire crew whilst me and Evie got him to safety."

"Don't exaggerate, Carlos," came Lonnie's voice, from where Ben guessed was the driver's seat "I held off most of the crew. Evie got that one guy."

"Yeah, let's just say that he'll probably never have kids."

The others laughed awkwardly, clearly trying to ease the tension and fear, as the driver, whoever it was, put their foot down. Ben guessed that they were safely in Auradon by this point but didn't want to ask. They drove for what felt like hours, Mal's breathing getting shallower by the second. Ben could barely breathe himself, tears beginning to drip out of his eyes. They came to a sudden stop. And Ben felt Mal be removed from him and then he was hurled up and dragged somewhere. The whole place they were smelt of chemicals. The hospital, if he had to guess.

"Help, someone!" he heard Evie cry out. He felt the flurry of people rushing around him and heard the sound of doctors talking loudly and wheeling a bed. Ben himself was then taken somewhere.

"Mal," he said, "Mal, is she okay? Where is she?"

"She's been taken into theatre, Your Majesty. They'll take good care of her," he was told. "I just need to see what I can do for your eyesight."

Next thing he knew, light was beginning to pierce through the darkness that he'd accepted to be his fate. Gasping, he blinked as his vision began to clear up.

"What the- How?" he questioned.

The doctor smiled, "A little faith, trust and, well, pixie dust." He showed Ben a small vial that was half empty. "I know it's not allowed, but I've always kept some just in case."

Ben smiled and nodded, "Okay." Ben took some deep breaths. "Where's Mal?"

"I told you, Your Majesty, Her Ladyship is in theatre, she seemed to have sustained some bad wounds. They'll be doing everything they can."

Ben shook his head, worst case scenario already beginning to fill his head. The doctor kindly brought him to his friend's who all hugged him in relief when they saw him, all of them questioning whether he was okay. He nodded and hissed. Between what was happening to Mal and his blindness, he didn't seem to have felt the pain in the back of his head. The doctor from earlier came over with an ice pack and placed it gently on the back of his head. "Here. That should help."

Ben nodded his thanks and sat down.

"Any word?" he asked them, holding the ice pack in place.

They all exchanged worried glances and shook their head. "We were hoping that you would," Evie admitted. Ben narrowed his eyes when he realised there was a massive cut on her forehead.

"Oh my goodness, were you guys hurt too?" He asked, looking at them, noting that Lonnie was missing.

"It's just a scrape, Ben. I'm fine. Lonnie got a few cuts but she's having them looked at," Evie told him. "The rest of us managed to get by with nothing but a few bruises. We're fine."

They all lapsed into an anxious silence, waiting for some news about Mal. The minutes ticked by painfully slow, eventually turning into hours. Lonnie turned up eventually with a few bandages but no other visible injury, but still, no one said anything, none of them knowing what to say and all fearing the worst. Finally, someone came to them, a sombre look on her face.

"I'm sorry," he told them, as they all stood up for answers. "But she didn't make it."

The room began to spin and Ben felt like he was falling. He thought he could hear the faint, deafening sound of a heart monitor flat-lining.

Suddenly, Ben sat up, panting heavily. He was in his bed, in his room, in his castle. Ben whipped his head around to look at the place next to him. It was empty.

"No," Ben croaked. It hadn't been a dream. It hadn't been a nightmare. He put his face in his hands as his body began to rack with sobs, "Mal. Mal, no."

"Ben?" Ben's head shot up and Mal was stood in the bathroom door, a hand resting on her swollen belly, "Ben, what' s wrong?"

He shook his head, "No, you're not really here."

Mal came over to him and sat down next to him on the bed, slowly reaching for his face as he inched away. He felt her warm fingertips on his cheek causing him to stop and stare at her.

"See? I'm here."

Ben slowly cupped her face in his hand. "You're alive," he whispered. "But I lost you. The doctors couldn't save you."

"Ben, they could. They did." She slowly took his hand and brought it to her chest, "See, my heart is still beating. They were able to save me. It was just a nightmare."

"It wasn't though, was it?" he replied, keeping his hand on her heart as a reminder to himself that she really was there. "It was all real. All of it."

"All of it, except that I'm alive. They didn't come to tell you that I died. They came to tell you that I was in recovery." This wasn't the first time that Ben had had the nightmare and Mal knew exactly how it went every time. He'd dream of the day that started out so perfect and ended in such pain. And every time, he'd lose her the moment where he actually found out she was okay. She had made a surprisingly speedy recovery, as she was still able to walk down the aisle two weeks later with no problem, as well as dance a few dances.

Ben slowly nodded, remembering the truth now. Mal kept talking.

"I recovered, I walked down that aisle, married the love of my life and now, we've been married ten months and we're three months away from having our first baby."

Ben looked down at Mal's swollen baby and smiled, leaning down and gently kissing her bump. "Hey, baby. Daddy will be okay by the time you're here. I promise that I'll always protect you so you'll never have to deal with stuff like this."

He then leaned his head on Mal's shoulder and let the sobs that had been threatening to overtake him come. His sobs were loud and he clutched to Mal with all he had, grounding himself on her as he cried everything out.

Mal began crying as well as she softly hummed a tune to help him calm down. Slowly but surely, his tears stopped and his sobs turned into small sniffles. He slowly lay down, Mal laying down on her back next to him. "Promise you'll be here when I wake?" he whispered hoarsely.

"I promise that you'll always wake up with me right here. Nothing is going to stop me from being here every day if I have anything to do with it. I'm okay, I'm alive. And I'm not going to leave you." Ben squeezed her hand and slowly closed his eyes.

It killed Mal, seeing how worn he looked, night after night, this nightmare coming more frequently as the anniversary of the accursed day approached. But when he fell asleep after being reassured that she had indeed survived, years seemed to fall off his face and he looked like the twenty-one-year-old man that he was. Mal leaned over and brushed lips over his cheek lightly.

"I'll always be here."

 **Well, here's your Bal adventure xez2003. I hope it didn't hurt you too much. (This is what happens when you let me take basically full control. ANGST)**

 **Request Counter: 15**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: There is no way to know whether or not his mom is proud of him but I guess we just have to hope. And yep, he's pretty good at it.**

 **Alice: (chapter 83) It is among the future requests, don't worry. It's on its way. :)**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	98. Unspoken Truths (Janelos)

The day was much like many other days in Auradon: sunny, warm and pleasant. The summer holidays were slowly approaching and the students of the boarding school were looking forward to them. Chatter about holiday plans had already started up and many people were excitedly planning to meet up with people when they could. With the weather being so nice, many people were hanging around outside and enjoying the sunshine. A certain couple were just bidding their friends goodbye with big smiles on their faces as they did so. The boy twirled his girlfriend as they walked away, causing her to giggle, before entwining their hands together and heading towards their favourite bench under a large oak tree hidden behind some bushes, giving them the sense of their own little world.

The girl was chattering away, telling a story from her childhood as her boyfriend listened intently, laughing as she explained her antics.

"I don't believe it. Little Miss Perfect was a little tyrant."

She gaped at him, pretending to be offended, "I wasn't a tyrant! I just hated bedtime," she reasoned, though she was grinning broadly.

"You were totally a tyrant," he argued, "Jane Fairy, rule-breaker extraordinaire." He looked up to the sky and wiped across it with his hand dramatically as he said her 'title'.

"It was one rule," Jane laughed, shoving him lightly, causing him to tip away slightly as he laughed and bounced back."But I bet little Carlos broke way more rules."

"Pfft, obviously," Carlos replied, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "It was encouraged."

"Oh yeah? What kind of rules did you break? Got any good stories?" she asked, shifting closer towards him.

Carlos shook his head, small grin on his face, "Nothing you want to hear, trust me."

Jane's smile slipped briefly but she managed to pull the corners of her mouth up again before he noticed. "Okay, if you say so," she said.

Carlos quickly changed the subject and Jane tried to listen, but her mind kept wandering elsewhere. Some time passed before Jane got up, explaining that she had homework that needed to be completed. She bent down and pecked Carlos gently on the cheek. Carlos smiled up at her and gently pulled her down for a proper kiss. Jane giggled quietly before standing upright again and heading off, waving at him as she went.

As she walked down the corridor leading to the girls' dorms, Jane couldn't help but think back to the way Carlos had just brushed off her question about his past. She didn't understand why he didn't want to tell her anything. Now that she'd thought about it, he'd almost never told her anything about his life on the Isle. Jane frowned as she walked into her room. She sat down at her desk, opening her laptop slowly before turning around and looking at the room in front of her. It was big and lavish. Her bed was cosy and comfortable, with a pale blue bedspread laying across the end of it. Her cushions were trimmed with lace. On her bedside table, she had a few trinkets as well as a book laying on it. She knew that the large wardrobe near the desk was full of clothes and the mirror by the window glinted prettily. The bookshelf had so many of her favourite books on it and she knew that if she wanted another one, the library was a three-minute walk away from her room. She'd never been without. Of course, she wasn't spoiled, like Audrey, but she'd always had quite a comfortable lifestyle. Did Carlos? Had he grown up wanting for nothing? Was he always well taken care of? She guessed no, but she didn't make this guess from anything he'd said, only from what she'd heard about the villains (and they seriously didn't seem like the tuck-you-into-bed-with-a-story or surprise-you-with-fun-treats-occasionally kind of people). She remembered how thin Carlos and all the other VKs were when they arrived and she'd seen the scar on Carlos's leg, but he'd never told her anything.

Jane gave up with the homework she'd pulled up and got up with the intention to go talk to someone who might understand what she was going through. She quickly walked the few steps to the dorm of one of her friends and knocked. Her roommate answered.

"Hey, Jane," Olivia greeted, smiling, "Lonnie's not here at the moment."

"Oh, okay," Jane replied, deflating a bit, "I guess I'll come back later." Jane began to walk away but Olivia stopped her.

"Something on your mind, Jane?"

Jane shrugged, "Yeah, but I'll figure it out."

Olivia smiled sympathetically, "Want to figure it out in here?" she asked, opening the door invitingly, gesturing to the room with her head, "I'm sure Lonnie will be back soon."

Jane smiled back gratefully, "Thanks." She stepped inside.

"Want to talk about it?" Olivia asked as she closed the door behind her. Jane shook her head, looking around the room. Lonnie had also put up many pictures of her friends and family, and Jane couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when she was a recent picture of Lonnie with her dad. The most recent one she had of her father was when she was four. Jane's eyes then travelled to a picture of Lonnie and Jay. It was from a day where the group had all gone out together to the local park. They took a lot of pictures and everyone was having fun posing and acting ridiculous. At some point, Lonnie had leapt onto Jay's back. Jane had managed to get a picture of the two of them laughing, as Lonnie had her hands on his shoulders and his hands were under her thighs, supporting her. "That's one of her favourites," Olivia commented, seeing where Jane was looking, "She was really excited when you sent it to her."

"Do you think they talk?" Jane asked, looking at Olivia, who looked back at her confused. "You know, about things like the Isle and his past."

Olivia slowly nodded once, "Yeah, they do. I can usually tell if they've had that kind of conversation when Lonnie walks in." Jane cocked her head curiously, "Lonnie's face is usually a give away as to what part of their time together she's thinking about when she walks in. She's often thinking about whatever stood out to her the most. Actually, it's kinda become a game of mine. I guess what kind of conversation they've had when she walks in."

Olivia sat down on her bed and gestured for Jane to sit with her. "She's with Jay now so when she's back, I'll show you what I mean." Just then the door opened and Lonnie walked in, smiling lightly before going to lay on her bed.

Olivia leaned over to Jane and began telling her observations, "She's smiling, so they didn't have any kind of argument or disagreement, and she definitely isn't irritated so if they were playing video games, he didn't brag about winning. Her smile it too bright for it to be a neutral conversation or just video games where they both won some. She's not smirking, so she didn't win most of them anyway, so I'm guessing we can rule out video games. Her smile is soft, indicating heart-felt conversation, but it's not sad, so the Isle wouldn't have been mentioned. And she hasn't told me off for making these observations yet so it was obviously a _very_ good conversation. She even seems a little lovesick." Suddenly Olivia gasped, "Oh my word, he dropped the L-bomb in an actual heartfelt, emotional way as opposed the usual casual way he does!"

Lonnie looked over and rolled her eyes, "I have no idea how you do that, but yeah."

Olivia squealed making both Jane and Lonnie laugh. Lonnie then sat up and waved at Jane. "Hey."

"Hey," Jane replied, "Can I talk to you?"

Lonnie nodded, crossing her legs and gesturing for Jane to join her on her bed.

"Would you like me to leave?" Olivia asked. Jane nodded and Olivia left, quietly closing the door behind her.

"So…," Jane started, "Olivia says that sometimes you and Jay talk about the Isle and his past and such?"

Lonnie nodded, "I mean, yeah we do. But usually only because I see one of his scars or he lets something slip or he does something. He used to try and brush it off but I pried it out of him once and since then he's told me things when I've asked because he knows hiding things tends to hurt both of us."

Jane nodded slowly and looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap. "Oh, I see."

"Jane, what's going on?" Lonnie asked, reaching forward and taking one of her hands, "Has something happened with you and Carlos?"

Jane shook her head, "No, not really. Just…I realised today that we've been together over a year but the only thing I've learnt about the Isle from him was the fact that he had a cat called Beelzebub. And technically speaking, I learnt that from his dog."

"Well, maybe he just doesn't know how to talk about it," Lonnie suggested, "It can't be an easy thing to talk about."

"It's not like he hasn't had the chance to try," Jane replied, "I asked him to tell me something about the Isle today. Nothing big, just a small example of his rule-breaking days, but he just brushed me off. He knows everything there is to know about me and yet I feel like I know nothing about him."

Lonnie squeezed her hand gently, "Just talk to him. I'm sure if you explain how you feel, you'll set yourselves down the right path towards him talking about it. These things take time."

Jane sighed and nodded, "I guess you're right." She got up and smiled at Lonnie, "Thanks."

"Any time," Lonnie replied.

Jane smiled again and left the room, heading back to her own. As she got there, she noticed Carlos stood outside, hand raised, about to knock.

"Behind you," she called out, a small laugh in her tone. Carlos turned and smiled when he saw her there.

"Hey," Carlos replied, "I was just about to see if you had finished your homework. Jay's kinda freaking me out so I wanted to get away."

Jane snorted, "Lovesick?"

"How'd you know?" Carlos replied.

"Lonnie's room-mate is very good at guessing what kind of conversation those two had just by Lonnie's smile when enters the room," Jane explained, "She somehow deduced that they'd had a heartfelt conversation that included Jay saying 'I love you' in a genuinely emotional way."

Carlos nodded, "Okay, that explains a lot."

Jane opened the door to her dorm and gestured him in. Carlos followed her and sat on her bed. She opened her laptop and turned it on. After a few seconds, she groaned in annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

"It's playing up," she replied, gesturing to her laptop.

"Well, it's a good thing your boyfriend knows a thing or two about computers," Carlos said, with a wink, standing up to grab the computer. He sat back down on the bed, typing things into the laptop.

Jane pulled out the homework she needed to do on paper and began slowly working through it whilst Carlos sorted out her laptop.

Jane's mind wondered to everything she and Lonnie had talked about but the more she thought about it, the less sense it made and more frustrated she got.

 _"'These things take time?'"_ Jane thought, _"It's been a year! Surely that's time enough? And 'just talk to him'. Yeah, totally haven't tried that already. He just brushes me off every time!"_

Jane slammed her pen down on her paper, making Carlos's head shoot up.

"Uh, Jane? Are you okay?"

Jane huffed, "Why do you never open up to me?" she demanded, turning to him.

Carlos put the computer aside to show she had his full attention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've been together for a year and yet I know nothing about your life before Auradon." She told him, standing up.

"Jane-" Carlos began to say, standing up as well.

"No, Carlos, let me finish," she interrupted as she paced the floor, "You know pretty much everything about me. I have no secrets from you. None. Yet I know nothing about you!" A year's worth of frustration was coming out all at once.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason I didn't say anything is that I didn't want to upset you or make you feel sorry for me? My life wasn't exactly unicorns and rainbows!" Carlos frustration at what Jane was saying was not hidden even in the slightest.

Jane sighed, frustrated, "I know it was difficult! I'm not naive! I just want to know who you are, Carlos! I want to know you!"

"You do, Jane! You know me better than anyone! What do want me to tell you?! That my mother forced me to sleep on a lumpy mattress with no pillows or blankets?! That she loved her car and her fur coats more than me?! That I was essentially a slave that she happened to give birth to?!"

Jane was shocked by his sudden outburst and took a step back, absorbing what he'd just told her.

"Carlos, I..."

"Save it, Jane. You got what you wanted, didn't you? Me to open up?" He scoffed before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Jane found herself sinking onto her bed. She was in shock. She hadn't meant to get so angry or to upset him so much. She wanted him to open up, but not like that. Never like that. Jane hid her face in shame and shock. She took some deep breaths to avoid bursting into tears of anger and frustration at herself for hurting Carlos that way. With one final deep breath, she nodded to herself, deciding what she needed to do. She got up and headed to Carlos's dorm.

Jay opened the door when Jane knocked.

"He's not okay," he told her before she had a chance to speak, "I don't know what happened between you two, but whatever it is, please try to sort it out. I haven't seen him like this in a long time." He opened the door wider and allowed Jane in before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

"Carlos?" she asked tentatively, looking at the bed where Carlos was laying, chucking a ball up and down, face stained with tear tracks but aside from that, completely emotionless.

"Come to yell at me some more?" His voice was monotone, although slightly hoarse from yelling at her and she imagined from crying as well (angry tears, she would guess). "Or to tell me that you don't want to be with someone as pathetic and broken as me?" Jane's heart shattered at this.

"I came to apologise," Jane said, causing Carlos to stop throwing the ball up in the air and twist his head so that he was looking at her with a disbelieving eyebrow raised. "Carlos, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like this or force you to open up. I just...I have no excuse. I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you like that. I should have just talked to you."

Carlos sat up, sighing lightly, "Yeah, you should've."

Jane nodded, "I've said what I needed to say. I'll just leave you alone. I really am sorry." She turned to leave.

"I am too," Carlos said. Jane looked at him over her shoulder, confused."You're right. I haven't been open with you. You deserve to know about my life on the Isle. You deserve to know exactly who you're dating."

Jane turned to him fully, shaking her head, "Not if you're not ready. I should have been more patient and waited till you were ready."

Carlos shrugged, "It's been a year. Maybe it's time."

Jane shook her head again, "No, Carlos, don't do it just because you feel you have to."

Carlos nodded, "Okay, I won't." He then got off the bed and opened his arms to her.

Jane smiled at him before running to him, throwing herself into his arms and wrapping her arms around his waist. Carlos wrapped his arms around her tightly and Jane suddenly burst into tears, all her tears of frustration, anger and pain on Carlos's behalf pouring out of her at once.

Carlos rubbed her back slowly, letting her cry out all of the emotions that had been building up in her. Slowly, Carlos sat the two of them down, hugging her close. Finally, her tears stopped and she took a few gulps of air.

"I'm sorry. I feel so silly," she apologised, wiping her eyes.

Carlos shook his head and kissed the top of her head gently as a response.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?" She asked from her spot on his chest, still clutching him as she buried her face in his shirt.

"I want to tell you about the Isle. Or at least some of it." Jane nodded and sat up, detaching herself from him. "I just don't know how to start," he admitted.

"How about this? I'll ask questions and you can answer them if you want to. You're allowed to not answer them."

Carlos nodded, "Okay, let's do that."

"You said something about where you slept. That it was nothing but a lumpy mattress?"

Carlos nodded and slowly began telling her about where he was forced to sleep and what on and why that it was better than some people on the Isle because at least it was a mattress. He explained how Evie had been the first to show him any kindness by offering him pillows and blankets. This led to more questions, some of which he wasn't ready to answer, some of which he did answer. There were quite a few tears shed by both of them throughout the conversation. At some point, Jane had laid her head in his lap which had led to the questions about his scar which she was tracing as she asked. They finally stopped talking about the Isle after Carlos told her that it was getting too difficult to talk about and that it was draining him. Jane nodded understandably and changed the topic, telling him about some of her days as a kid and some of the stories her mum had told her. The two talked and talked for ages, accidentally missing dinner in the process.

When Jay returned, a little while after dinner having spent some more time with Lonnie and their other friends, he saw his brother fast asleep, sat up with his head against the headboard and the fairy goddaughter curled up with her head on his lap, covered in a blanket from the end of Carlos's bed. Jay smiled and silently closed the door, figuring he could survive staying out of his room until curfew, for their sake. He didn't want to ruin one of these most peaceful, albeit uncomfortable, sleeps he'd ever seen Carlos in.

 **Here you go Random! A Janelos oneshot (finally, am I right?). I hope you enjoyed it and sorry, not sorry about the angst XD**

 **Also, I meant to do this last chapter but it was one in the morning when I published it so I didn't even think about it. My opinion on the Descendants 3 trailer:**

 **I AM SO HYPED UP FOR THIS FILM! It looks so exciting! Although, everything kinda happened really fast so I had to watch it a few times to notice anything specific XD. One thing I think though, although this will be an unpopular opinion, I didn't like the fact that Ben turned into a beast. I don't understand why it's in his genetics for that to be possible when his father turning into a beast was a CURSE that was BROKEN. And even if it did somehow end up in his genetics, why is Ben able to change at will? Adam certainly wasn't able to. But all that aside, this is going to be epic (although I'm going to wait for the film before I insert any new canon material into my little Descendants universe)**

 **Request Counter: 14**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: (96) I am so glad you liked it :) (97) Yeah, it was quite long. But I loved writing it :)**

 **pmbb: Now imagine what it was like for me when I was writing it, seeing as I came up with many scenarios (actually considered killing Mal off permanently). Yeah, roller-coaster is one word for it XD**

 **xez2003: Oh, well, it looked like a prompt so I took it as one. I am so glad you liked it though. Also, thank you so much for pointing out the A/N being in the middle of the story. Publishing at one in the morning leads to mistakes like that XD**

 **Agata: I am so glad you enjoyed it. There will be lots more Bal coming up :D**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I am so happy you enjoyed it. Do you see what I mean by this oneshot being essentially pure pain though? XD**

 **Eli201: I feel you. No problem, though. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Guest.I: Your comment made me smile for a good fifteen minutes. And there will be lots more Bal coming up (literally, all 14 left are either Bal or their daughter).**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	99. First Word Fun (Bal Family)

The sun began to set on the country of Auradon as a young woman walked into the large castle that was her home, pulling her hair down from its ponytail as she walked. She was tired, being on her feet all day with the new exhibition that the gallery where she worked was running. All she wanted was a shower (or maybe even a long bath) and her bed. But her hopes were dashed the moment she set foot in the family wing of the castle. Her four-year-old daughter came tearing out of the playroom and pelted towards her at full speed. The woman crouched down and scooped her up in her arms as soon as she reached her.

"Mommy!" The little one cried excitedly.

"Hey, Baby Bear," her mother replied, pecking her nose, "Did you have a good day?"

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. Just then a young man walked out of the nursery, a few doors down from the playroom, with a sleeping baby in his arms.

"Hey, Mal," he said, walking over to her as she put their oldest down.

Mal smiled, "Hey, Ben. You got her down then?"

Ben nodded with a soft smile as he removed one hand from the baby to cradle Lia's head as she wrapped her little arms around her father's leg.

Mal reached out and took the baby from Ben, cradling her gently in her own arms. "Hey, Mae," she whispered softly, "Have you been a good girl for your daddy? Yeah?" She giggled almost inaudibly to herself as she looked at her sleeping sixth-month-old. "Let's see if you'll stay asleep when we put you in your cot."

Ben smiled gently to himself as he watched his wife talk to their baby girl. Every time he saw her with the girls, he couldn't help but fall in love with her just that little bit more. She'd come so far since she first fell pregnant with Lia, which had caused her to panic and wonder if she'd ever be a good enough mother, fearing that she was incapable of loving a child. That all changed when Lia was born though and Ben had the privilege to watch her heart grow bigger with every second that she spent with her daughter and even bigger when their second little girl came along.

Speaking of, Maesi began to stir and fuss a bit. Mal rocked her back and forth and shushed her gently. Slowly, she walked into the nursery. Ben watched her for a bit more before looking down at his four-year-old daughter, who was pulling at his trouser leg.

"What's up, Bear?" He asked her.

"Come on, daddy, let's play!"

Ben smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's play." Lia grabbed his hand and he let himself get dragged into the playroom.

A little while later, Mal walked into the room, smiling gently at her husband and daughter doing a puzzle together. She went over to them and sat next to them.

"Hey," she said, laying her head on Ben's shoulder. Ben turned his head towards her and pecked the top of her head.

"Hey. Long day?" he asked, concerned as he placed another piece on the puzzle, "Did you manage to eat something?"

Mal shook her head, "There wasn't really much time."

"I'll get Mrs Levi to whip you something up," he told her, accepting a puzzle piece from Lia and placing it at her request.

"Thanks," Mal answered, "Twenty minutes and then it's time to get ready for bed, Baby Bear."

Lia pouted at her, "But Daddy said I could stay up!"

Mal gave Ben a look as he began to protest. "Uh, no, I did not say that," he said, "I said that you could stay up late if Mommy didn't get home till late. But she's here now, so you can go to bed at your normal time."

"Awww," Lia complained, "Please?" she added, pulling a puppy face.

"No," Mal told her gently, "And I wouldn't try the fake tears." She added as Lia pouted further "You know they don't work on Mommy."

Lia sighed dramatically, "Fine. Why do they work on Daddy but not you?"

"Because your daddy is a big softy," Mal replied, making Ben splutter out a protest, to which the mother-daughter duo giggled. "Now, come on. If you finish your puzzle before bedtime, Daddy will read you an extra long story."

Lia grinned brightly, showing off her little teeth before nodding enthusiastically and looking back at her puzzle to focus on it.

Ben turned to Mal with a smile and pecked her lips. "Do you want to head into the shower? I can handle bedtime."

Mal smiled at him thankfully and nodded before kissing Lia's head gently and heading to her own room in order to get into the shower and wash off the long day. Once showered and dressed in her pyjamas (despite it still being rather early), Mal headed over to her oldest daughter's bedroom where Ben was sitting with a book in his hands as he read it to her, his soft voice matching the smile on his face as Lia sat with her head on his arm, looking at the pictures of the storybook as her dad read. Finally, they reached the end and Ben put the book away. Mal walked over to their daughter's bed and gently kissed her forehead, "Goodnight, Baby Bear."

"Goodnight, Mommy," Lia replied sleepily.

Ben then kissed her as well, whispering his own good night, which was softly returned. Ben turned on the night-light before leaving the room with Mal, slowly closing the door behind them. Mal sighed gently before heading into the nursery next door, opening the door as quietly as she could. Ben followed her and they stood together over the cot where their little girl was peacefully sleeping, her little hands curled into fists. Ben's arms went around Mal's waist as she began to trace a finger over her baby's face, with a feather-light touch, so as not to wake her.

"What did we do before these two, hey?" Mal asked, her free hand resting on Ben's forearms, which were on her front.

"Well," Ben murmured into her ear suggestively, "I could remind you if you want." He grazed his lips over the shell of her ear.

"Oi, cheeky," Mal replied, turning her head to look at him, a playful smile on her face. "Watch it." Her gaze then returned to Maesi and she sighed softly. "She's so beautiful."

"Gets it from her mother," Ben told her, hugging her a little tighter. Mal just breathed a quick laugh and shook her head a little. "I think she's going to start talking soon," he added, bending down so that he could rest his chin on her shoulder. Mal brought up the hand that was on his arms and cradled his head there.

"You think?"

"Hmm," he hummed, "Her babbling is similar to what Lia's was when she started talking. I bet her first word is going to be 'Dada'."

"You said that last time," Mal reminded him, running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, well it's my turn this time," Ben said.

Mal laughed, "I'm not sure Maesi understands turns just yet. Besides, I'm obviously her favourite," she joked.

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely," Mal replied, grinning at him.

"Well, you're my favourite too," Ben said.

Mal giggled before removing her finger from her daughter's cheek. "How did we get so lucky?"

Ben shrugged, "Trust me, I've been asking myself that same question for nearly eleven years."

Mal turned her head to him as she smiled then leaned in and kissed him gently.

"Let's get you some food," Ben said, once she parted from him, "You look dead on your feet."

"Such a charmer," she joked. Ben playfully rolled his eyes before leading her out of the nursery and back to their own room. Once he'd called down to the kitchen to ask the cook to send up one of the scullery maids with dinner for Mal, he turned to her with a smile.

"So, how about dinner and a movie? We could go down to the cinema."

Mal smiled at him but shook her head, "As much fun as it would be to finally watch a movie down there that isn't G-rated, I am way too tired to get myself down there and then bring myself back up again."

"I could always carry you," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Mal smiled again but shook her head, "You're probably exhausted as well. Those two can be hard work."

Ben shrugged, "They were pretty good today. Lia loves the fact that Maesi will giggle at literally anything she does, so she spent a good half hour pulling faces at her whilst I was finishing off some work."

Mal smiled, "They get on so well. Lia seems to love being a big sister."

Ben nodded in agreement, "I just worry that'll change when Lia becomes a teenager. Maesi will still be quite little."

"We have some time before we need to worry about that," Mal told him, "Are you sure Maesi's going to start talking soon?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah, I think so. She's reached all her other milestones that Lia reached before speaking, so it wouldn't surprise me at all."

Mal hummed gently before wrapping her arms around Ben's neck and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "They're growing up so fast. It feels like just yesterday that we were in the hospital, meeting Lia for the first time."

"Yeah, I don't think my hand has recovered from that, yet," Ben joked, flexing his right hand to emphasise his point.

Mal rolled her eyes at him and laid her head on his chest, "Wimp."

Just as Ben flicked her on the nose in retaliation, there was a knock on the door. Ben opened it to see the scullery maid with Mal's dinner on a tray. Ben took it from her, thanking her. The maid curtsied and headed back to the kitchen. Ben closed the door behind him and walked over to Mal, who was now sat on top of the bed.

"Don't you want to get under the covers?" Ben asked, handing her the tray as he sat down next to her.

"It's the summer," Mal reminded him, "Too warm for the covers right now."

Ben smiled and dropped his head to her shoulder, kissing it at random as she ate her dinner and told him about her day. Eventually, she finished up and placed the tray to one side so that she could take it down to the kitchens in the morning (despite having servants, Mal didn't like leaving extra messes for them to clean up and tried to do some things herself). Ben detached himself from her and got changed into his own pyjamas. The two of them cuddled up under the covers after he'd put a film on for the two of them to watch but Mal had fallen asleep long before the credits began rolling, Ben following her not long after.

They were woken up the next morning by their door banging open and a little ball of energy flinging herself onto their bed, causing both of them to make a loud (only slightly dramatic) "Oof!"

"Wake up, wake up!" Lia exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the bed, "It's morning!"

Mal threw an arm over her eyes and Ben groaned as he checked the time. "Bear, it's six-thirty in the morning. Can you go play quietly by yourself for a bit? Mommy and Daddy are tired."

Lia huffed but obeyed and hopped off the bed, running to the playroom to play with her toys. Just as the two parents sighed in relief, a cry was heard over the baby monitor. Mal sighed and sat up. "I got her."

Ben sat up slowly as he watched Mal stumble out of the room towards the nursery. He got up and put on his dressing gown, intending to go play with Lia for a bit. Over the baby monitor, he heard Mal whispering softly to Maesi.

"Oh, Mae. Is it your new tooth? Look what I have! It's your teething ring. That always makes it better, doesn't it?"

Ben smiled when he heard Maesi cry turn into something softer before slowly turning into happy babbling. He left the room at that point and headed to the playroom where Lia was playing with her dolls. Just as he was about to sit down next to her, Mal cried out to him from the nursery; "Ben, come quickly!"

Ben bolted out of the playroom and ran into the nursery to see Mal smiling brightly with a giggling Maesi happily chewing on her teething ring. "What's wrong?"

Mal shook her head, "Nothing. But Maesi just said her first word!"

Ben grinned, "Really?"

Mal nodded, not taking her eyes off of her daughter, who babbled happily before pointing at Mal and babbling, "Mama."

Ben's mouth dropped open, pure joy filling his eyes. "That's my girl!" He scooped her up proudly before bringing her to his face, "But I thought we had an understanding, little one," he murmured, making both Mal and Maesi giggle.

"I told you that I'm her favourite."

Ben pulled a face at her, making Maesi giggle even more. Lia then walked into the room.

"What's happening?" she asked, going over to her mom, who picked her up and put her on her hip.

"Maesi said her first word," Mal explained.

"What did she say?" Lia asked excitedly.

"She said 'Mama'."

Lia clapped her hands, "Cool! What was my first word?"

"Also 'Mama'," Ben replied, a little salt in his tone.

Mal gave him a look part sympathy, part annoyance, causing him to smile at her sheepishly. Mal put Lia down and she went up to her dad, smiling up at the little one who was chewing on her teething ring again.

"Can you say my name? Lia," she told her little sister

Maesi giggle and reached down to her.

"Lia," Lia repeated, "It's not that hard. Lee-ah." She sounded out her name slowly, "Lee. Ah."

"Lala!" Maesi said waving her little hand.

Lia smiled, "Yeah! Lala!"

"Lala?" Mal questioned, a laugh in her tone.

Lia shrugged, "She can call me Lala. She's only a baby."

Ben huffed, "Really, Mae-Mae?" he asked, shifting Maesi slightly, "You can say Mama and you've given your big sister a nickname. How about me, huh?"

"Maybe she's saving best for last," Lia reasoned, "Like I always do with my food so I can only taste the good stuff afterwards."

Ben smiled down at Lia, "That could be. Thank you," he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his leg.

Mal crossed her arms gently and grinned, a breath of a laugh escaping between her teeth. Ben looked up at Mal and grinned back at her. Ben then put Maesi into her playpen and went to go play with Lia for a little bit before breakfast. Mal sat down in the chair next to her daughter's cot and watched her babble happily as she played with the toys in her playpen. Mal heard the words "Mama" a lot over the course of the next few days, and Maesi always happily cried out "Lala!" whenever Lia entered the room. Ben was so used to that when he walked into her nursery once to get her out of her cot because she'd woken up, he almost missed the new word that escaped her lips as she reached out to him.

"Dada!"

 **Here you go, Eli201! Finally, am I right?**

 **Sorry I was off for so long, exam season. Unfortunately, it won't stop there. This was only mocks (not real exams where the only purpose is to apparently "prepare" us for the real things) and my final exams are around the corner. I hope I can go back to updating regularly soon but it is currently looking like June before that'll happen. I'll do my best but most of my time should be dedicated to studying :(**

 **Request Counter: 13**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes, they sure are and yes, they are pretty good friends.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I'm glad you liked it and yes, they are OTP and they will be together a long time if I have anything to say about it.**

 **xez2003: Awww, thank you! Also, I really like your theory. I was super excited by it the moment I saw it because it was just really cool. I hope your theory is right. I'm glad I made you so happy. Hopefully they will be here soon but we'll have to see.**

 **Eli201: Janelos are indeed adorable and it is weird but that's kinda the point. He's changing after letting go of some of his baggage and allowing others to help him carry it.**

 **catherinethereader: (83) I'm glad! I enjoyed writing it a lot. (98) Yep. Still got thirteen to go and after that, I most likely will because I love writing and I love doing people's requests so much.**

 **Love you all!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	100. In Nightmares and Reality (Bal Family)

Twinkling like a thousand diamonds sewn onto a deep, black, velvet sky, the stars watched over the sleeping Auradonians. The wind rattled the trees as it slowly picked up speed as though in a race against the clouds who were getting heavier by the minute as they blocked out the little lights. Suddenly, the clouds all sighed in unison, releasing torrents of rain, pelting down to the earth at full speed. Thunder began to crackle like shots were being fired from the heavens. The abrupt storm caused some to stir in their sleep and the night owls who'd been out to rush to the safety of a shelter. Over in the biggest castle in the city, a young girl tossed and turned, mumbling to herself in her sleep. Her bed sheets twisted and turned with her, tangling themselves with the girl's limbs like snares. The room was dark and yet shadows seemed to dance across it, surrounding the child whose dreams seemed to be causing her distress.

All of a sudden, the girl shot up with a yelp. Panting, she looked around her room as though trying to figure out where she was before scrambling out of her bed. She got to her door and suddenly slowed down, choosing to pad across the hall to her parents' room quietly, in case she accidentally woke them or her sister up. As gently as she could, she opened the door to her parents' room and poked her head in. Her father was lightly snoring as he lay on his back, one of his hands hanging over the side of the bed. Her mom was on her side, lying close to the man next to her, her shoulders rising and falling slightly as she breathed. The young girl let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding and began to close the door again. The slight creak caused her mother to stir and open her eyes.

The mother of two raised her head and watched as her bedroom door shut quietly then got out of bed, careful not to wake her husband.

"Something wrong, Maesi Beth?" she asked in a whisper when she opened her door to see her seven-year-old daughter tip-toeing across the hall to her sister's bedroom. Maesi jumped and looked over at her mum, who smiled softly at her with questioning eyes.

"No," she whispered back before hesitating a second, "I had a bad dream," she admitted. "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't real."

Mal smiled at her sadly, "I see. Well, unless your bad dream was about your sister's snoring, it wasn't real," she told her.

Maesi giggled lightly before nodding. "Okay. I'm going to go back to sleep."

"Want me to come tuck you in?"

Maesi shook her head, "No, I'm okay. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Mae." Mal watched her daughter head back to her own room before heading into the bedroom she shared with her husband. As she crawled into bed, he stirred and groaned lightly.

"Mal?" he questioned, groggily opening an eye and turning his face to look at her.

"Sorry," she whispered as she lay down next to him, "Didn't mean to wake you."

"You okay?" he asked, letting out a gentle huff of air, rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb.

"Yeah, yeah," Mal replied.

"And now the truth?"

Mal sighed, "Maesi had another nightmare but she didn't want me to tuck her back into bed this time."

Ben shifted so that he was on his side and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her closer as he did so. "Well, that does seem a little out of character for her but you know what she's like. Both of our girls are super independent and she's going through that phase where she's a big girl now and thinks she doesn't need us as much."

Mal hummed in agreement, "Yeah, I know. And normally I would completely agree with what you're saying but...Ben, when I looked into her eyes, there was something in them that I haven't seen in years. Fear."

"Maybe the nightmare freaked her out a bit. They have been happening a lot lately," Ben reasoned, "She's pretty tough though so I'm sure she'll be fine by morning."

Mal sighed, "It just seems weird, though. She didn't wake me on purpose but she did come in here and she was headed to Lia's room when I stopped her in the hall to make sure she was okay. It was like she was checking on us, to make sure we're okay, to make sure we're alive. Should seven-year-olds be having dreams that cause her to feel the need to check on us?"

Ben looked concerned, "That does seem a bit odd but I'm sure if it was anything serious, she'd come talk to us. Maybe it's just your protective instincts that are getting you a bit paranoid."

Mal nodded, "Yeah, maybe." She snuggled closer to her husband. Ben smiled at her and ran a hand through her violet locks before placing a kiss on her forehead and closing his eyes to go drift off to sleep. It took Mal a while to get to sleep, with her worries bouncing around her mind. Eventually, though, tiredness took over and she went to sleep, albeit a somewhat restless one.

Unusually, Mal was the first to wake up the next morning. This rarely ever happened as she was not a morning person but Mal had a sneaking suspicion that the worries she'd had last night had something to do with it. By the time Ben had woken up, Mal was already dressed in her purple jeans and green blouse and was brushing her hair by the vanity mirror.

"Did I oversleep?" he asked, sitting up and grabbing his phone to check the time.

Mal shook her head, "No. I was just awake early and I was too restless to stay in bed."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Ben asked, concerned, swinging his feet out of bed and slipping on his dressing gown.

Mal shook her head again as he trudged over to her, "No. I guess what happened with Maesi last night is still worrying me."

Ben smiled sadly at her and kissed the top of her head. "I told you, she'll be fine. She's tough." Mal didn't look convinced. "I'll go talk to her, if you want," Ben offered, "Maybe she'll say something to me."

Mal looked at him as she put down her hairbrush. "Would you?"

Ben nodded, "Of course." He bent down to kiss her but was pushed away.

"I appreciate you talking to her but not enough to kiss you when you have morning breath," said Mal with a playful smile. Ben just chuckled and dropped a kiss on her cheek before getting ready for the day.

Just as he finished combing his hair, there was a knock at the bedroom door and a call of: "Breakfast is almost ready, hurry up!"

Both Mal and Ben chuckled a bit and Mal told the owner of the voice to come in.

"Good morning to you too, Baby Bear," Mal said, as their eleven-year-old girl walked in. Lia just smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"Oi, where's my good morning hug?" Ben called from where he was stood.

Lia shrugged, "I don't know. I must have lost it."

Mal snorted and Ben rolled his eyes, "You are so your mother's daughter." Lia laughed and went over to give her dad a hug. Ben smiled as he hugged her back. "Your sister up?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Lia asked, pulling away from her dad. "Do I look like I spend every second wondering where she is?"

"Oh, totally," her dad replied, causing Lia to roll her eyes at him.

"I'll go wake her up," Mal said before Ben stopped her.

"No, it's okay. I'll go."

"Yeah, and Mom can teach me how to do make-up," Lia said, looking at her mum with a look of innocence.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Mal replied as Ben began to leave the room. "I think you're still a little too young for it."

"But Aunt Evie says you're never too young for make-up."

"Aunt Evie isn't raising you," was the last thing Ben heard Mal say before he closed the door and headed over to his youngest's room.

He knocked on the door gently and when he didn't get a reply, he slowly pushed it open. Maesi was curled up under her grey-blue blankets, a stuffed wolf in her arms, her back facing the door. Ben could tell she was awake, though, because he could see in the reflection of her mirror that her eyes were open. The mismatched orbs were so full of sadness that it pained Ben to see it.

"Hey, baby girl. You ready for breakfast?"

Maesi shook her head, "I'm not hungry."

Ben frowned in concern and walked over to her bed, sitting down on it. "You feeling sick?" he asked, gently placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Maesi flinched away from his hand and shifted closer to the edge of the bed, away from Ben. Ben's face fell and he retracted his hand. "What's wrong, baby girl?"

Maesi shrugged, "Just not hungry." She glanced over her shoulder, her ice blue and ice green eyes seemingly begging her dad to leave her alone. Ben went to run a comforting hand through her lilac hair but Maesi flinched away from him again. Ben frowned a little but got up.

"Okay. Do you think you're still going to be up for this afternoon? We were all going to go horse-riding together, remember?"

"I don't know," Maesi replied.

Ben sighed, "Mom mentioned that you had another nightmare last night. Want to talk about it?"

"No."

Ben's shoulders sagged and he knew that it was time to give up. "Okay. I'll come check up on you after breakfast."

Maesi gave a half-hearted nod and Ben left, biting his cheek in thoughtful concern. When he walked into his room, he saw Lia pouting at Mal.

"Come on, Mom! It's just a little make-up."

"Lia, we told you that you could start wearing make-up when you're twelve. You're not twelve yet," Ben said, crossing his arms, "Now go on, head down to breakfast. We'll join you in a bit."

Lia huffed and walked out, accepting defeat.

"I blame you for her stubbornness," Mal joked, glancing over at Ben.

Ben tried to smile but it failed to reach his eyes. Mal frowned in concern and went over to him, cupping his cheeks in her small hands. "What's wrong?"

"I think you were right to be worried about Maesi. She's just laying in her bed, not moving. She claimed she wasn't hungry and she doesn't seem to want to get up." Ben took a deep breath before continuing, "She flinched when I tried to take her temperature and when I tried to touch her hair."

Mal frowned in concern, "That's not like her. Maybe I should go check on her."

"Mal, I think she wants to be left alone. I think she's gone back to sleep anyway. She looked tired." Ben said.

"Did you manage to talk to her about the nightmare?"

Ben shook his head, "No, she just said that she didn't want to talk about it."

Mal bit her lip before sighing and nodding, "Okay. I'll leave her be for now. Can I at least check up on her after breakfast?"

Ben nodded. Just as the two were about to leave to head to the family dining room, a loud scream was heard from their daughter's bedroom. Mal's blood went cold and she rushed out of the room, Ben hot on her heels. She burst into her daughter's room to see Maesi thrashing about and crying. "No, Mom! Dad! NO!" Mal was frozen to the spot, no idea what to do. Ben surged forward and began shaking Maesi lightly.

"Maesi, Maesi Beth, wake up. It's okay. We're here. It's not real. Wake up!" Maesi eyes shot open and she flung herself backwards, out of her father's arms.

"No! Stay away!" She scrambled out of bed and went to the other side of the room. "I could hurt you!"

Mal slowly inched towards her, her hand up, "Maesi Beth, it's okay. You're not going to hurt us."

Maesi shook her head, "NO! Please! I don't want to hurt you!"

Ben tried to go towards her but Mal stopped him, "Ben, stop. She's scared." She then turned to Maesi, "We'll stay right here, okay, Mae? We won't come any closer, but we're not going to leave you."

"Please go away. I can't control it." Mal looked down at her daughter's hands and saw her hands trembling before looking up and realising that her eyes were randomly flashing emerald green.

"Mae, remember what I told you? Fear causes you to lose control. You need to control your fear," Mal told her slowly.

Maesi shook her head before whispering: "I'm sorry." Next thing Ben and Mal knew, Maesi had bolted out of the room. Ben went to run after her but Mal stopped him again.

"How did you know how to wake her up?" Mal asked, slowly. "You've always said that waking up from nightmares should be done gently but you seemed to know exactly that this wasn't the case here."

Ben looked down, "She wasn't having a nightmare like you have when you're reliving your past. She was acting the same way that you do when you have nightmares about your magic. She must have been having these for ages but they suddenly got worse this morning."

Mal gasped, "Those nightmares..." Suddenly her face went hard and she stormed out of the room.

"Mal?" Ben went after her, "Where are you going?"

Mal didn't reply and just marched determinedly to her destination: the secure room where they kept Maleficent.

"Mal?!" Ben demanded, following her.

"Move, I want to see my mother," she told the guards standing outside of the doors. They did as they were told, seeing the thunder in her face, looking angrier and more violent than the storm they'd had last night.

"Mal, what are you doing?"

Mal walked into and went over to the small cage where her mother was. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" She screamed, "HOW DARE YOU? SHE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD! YOU LEAVE MY DAUGHTERS ALONE!" Her hands were raised as though about to grab and shake the cage.

Ben caught her hands and pulled her back, "Hey, hey. Stop." He held her as tears fell down her face and she struggled against him.

"No! She's the reason Maesi's having nightmares! Those nightmares about our magic? She's the one who gives them to us! Any doubt that we have about our ability to control our magic and she manages to feed off of it and cause us to believe that we'll hurt those who we love most! And now because of her, our little girl is afraid of herself!" Suddenly she turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest, sobbing loudly. Ben wrapped his arms securely around her and glared at the lizard who seemed to be smirking at them. He then pulled his eyes away from the creature and looked down at Mal, placing a kiss on her head as she cried into his shirt.

"Hey, I know you're angry, but we need to find Maesi, okay? She's run off and she could be hurt for all we know."

Mal pulled back and wiped her eyes, "You're right. Come on, let's go." She grabbed Ben's hand and the two of them left to go find their youngest daughter.

"Any idea where she might have gone?" Ben asked.

Mal nodded, "Yeah, I have one idea." She led Ben to the small room near their bedrooms, where she'd been helping Maesi learn to control her magic for the past three years. That room had become a place of security for Maesi as this is where she felt her magic was under control. Mal slowly opened the door and saw Maesi curled up on the far end of the room, her head in her knees.

"Maesi Beth?" Mal said quietly, causing Maesi to look up. "Hey, it's okay. You're not going to hurt us."

"How do you know?" Maesi asked.

"Because I used to think the same thing, that I would lose control and hurt the people I love."

"But I did! You remember? When I was four, I lost control of my magic. Daddy had bruises for ages."

Ben's eyes widened in shock. He didn't realise that she had noticed the bruises or that she still remembered them. "Oh, baby girl, that wasn't your fault. None of us knew you even had magic then."

"But I hurt you," Maesi mumbled.

"No, you didn't. You accidentally made things fly around the room and I got hit when I was trying to protect you from them. That wasn't your fault."

Mal inched closer to Maesi, "Maesi, I've lost control too. I hurt Aunt Evie. She had to go to the hospital for a few days." Maesi's eyes widened and she curled into herself even more, "I'm not telling you that to scare you, Maesi, but to let you know that you can learn to control it. I did."

"I wish I didn't have magic," Maesi mumbled, "I wish I was normal like my friends."

Ben glanced at Mal sadly and Mal returned the look. "Ben, there's a small, round, black box in the drawer of the vanity desk. It has purple dust in it. Can you get it for me?"

Ben smiled at her and nodded, "Of course." He left the room and left Mal to slowly head over to her youngest daughter.

"Why don't you like your magic, Beth?"

Maesi sighed, "I don't like it because I'm not normal and because I could hurt people with it. Magic is bad. Look at what Grandmother did."

Mal sat down next to her, "How about what Fairy Godmother did? She used her magic so that Cinderella could go to the ball and made her a really pretty dress and glass slippers."

"Glass slippers seems a bit mean to me," Maesi said, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Mal chuckled, "Yeah, me too, but Cinderella loved it." They shared a small laugh. "But do you see what I mean? Magic isn't just used to hurt. It can be used to help. It can be a beautiful thing."

As though on cue, Ben walked into the room holding the box that Mal had asked for. Mal reached out for it.

"Let me prove it to you," she said, opening the box. Maesi stared as sparkly purple dust came flying out of the box. "Magical dust of sparkling flight, turn into creatures so fair and light."

The dust formed into animals such as rabbits, deer, swans, horses. They all hopped, trotted, swam and galloped around Maesi, making her smile at their pure beauty. "Wow."

Mal nodded, "Amazing, isn't it?"

Maesi was only able to nod her head as she watched the animals.

After a few seconds, Mal pointed at the animals, "Shimmering creatures of magic and light, return to me and end your flight." The creatures turned back into dust and floated back into the box. Mal closed it and handed it back to Ben. "See? Magic can be beautiful. And yours is beautiful too because you have such a beautiful heart. I know that you have perfect control over your magic and you're going to be able to help people with it, okay?"

Maesi nodded and hugged her mother. "Thanks, Mommy, you're right. You taught me to control it so I can. You're the best teacher."

"Thank you." She hugged Maesi back, "Want to tell us what the nightmare was about?"

Maesi nodded, "Yeah. We were all just sitting around having breakfast and Nana and Papa were there too. Suddenly, my hands started glowing and magic began coming out of them, without my control. I tried to stop myself and then I couldn't. Suddenly I turned to Lia. I was going to hurt her, I knew I was, but you guys jumped in front of her to protect her. I tried to get to you but both of you weren't moving and I was about to hurt Lia, Nana and Papa but then I woke up."

Mal pulled her daughter in for a hug and Ben also wrapped his arms around them. "That's never going to happen, okay, Maesi Beth? You're powerful but you're also in control of that power."

Maesi nodded, "Okay, I believe you." They all smiled. The door suddenly opened and the trio looked up.

"There you guys are! You said you'd be a few minutes. Breakfast is getting cold," Lia complained. The others laughed and Ben stretched out his arm to her.

"Get in here, Bear."

Lia shrugged and went over to hug her family. The four of them stayed like that for a while until they decided to go and have breakfast together. They were a powerful family and it was the true love that ran between each member that made them so powerful.

 **For you, Eli201. Hope you enjoyed it! I love writing about Maesi!**

 **I saw the new trailer the other day and all I can say is: AHHHH! SO FREAKING EXCITED!**

 **Request Counter: 12**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **mirami03: I don't always start them in the morning or sunset but usually I do because I find it the easiest time to describe and I love beginning my story with descriptions of the weather. Don't ask me why. I'm just weird like that. Also, I find stories flow better from those points in the day.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I am so happy you loved it so much! And yes, these two sisters are the cutest.**

 **xez2003: I'm so glad you loved it! I love writing about these two girls, they're some of my favourites.**

 **Eli201: I'm so freaking happy you loved it! And hope you don't mind the new nickname I added for her in this. I combined two of the nicknames you listed in her description.**

 **Guest.I: Awww, thank you! I love their relationship too :)**

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 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	101. To Tell You the Truth (DaesiMal&Maesi)

The morning sun shone lazily on the city of Auradon as the people slowly milled around, some heading to work, some enjoying their Saturday in town or at home. Many teenagers were still asleep and many little children were running around outside or playing inside. In Auradon Prep, one girl was on the running track, determined to get fitter, faster and better, whilst her dad coached her from the sidelines.

One of the dorms in the school, however, was missing their occupant, which wasn't unusual, as she didn't stay over at the school often, usually only if there was a late night party or something. The girl in question was getting dressed in her own room, in the castle that had been her home since she was born. The familiar ebony covers and onyx designs across her ivory walls were a comfort to her. She had bookshelves full of her favourite books and a closet full of her best clothes. She didn't see the need for staying in a dormitory if she had everything she could want at home, including her parents and her sister, who had graduated three years ago.

As Maesi brushed her lilac hair there was a knock on the door. "Enter!" she called out.

"Hey, Ellie," her older sister – Lia – said as she came in, "Need help getting ready for your date?"

Maesi shook her head, "No, it's not a big deal. We're just getting brunch. Thanks, though."

Lia nodded in understanding but she didn't leave or even move. She just stared ahead and out of the double french doors that led to the balcony, just behind Maesi.

"Something on your mind, Lala?" Maesi asked in concern.

Lia blinked and then shook her head, "Sorry, zoned out. So much to do, I think the stress is getting to me."

Maesi laughed, "I can tell. You might want to calm down a little though, or you're going to drive a hole through my door," she said, gesturing at where Lia's hand was on the doorknob.

Lia glanced down to see that fingernails were slowly growing into claws. "Oh!" She let go of the doorknob and shook her hand out with a little laugh, "Sorry. Don't even realise I'm doing it sometimes."

Maesi smiled, "Yeah, I know. It's fine." She then turned back to her mirror, placing her hairbrush down and grabbing a hair tie. "Was there anything else you wanted or are you just trying to be late?"

Lia frowned in confusion, "Late?"

"Lia, you're going to be late!" A voice said behind the twenty-one-year-old heir to the throne.

Lia's eyes went wide as she turned around to see her mother behind her looking a little miffed. Maesi felt sorry for her sister, knowing she was only ever called 'Lia' by their family if either of their parents were annoyed.

"Oh, shoot! My dress fitting appointment," Lia suddenly said in realisation, "Aunt Evie is going to kill me."

Mal rolled her eyes and tossed her a set of keys, "Take the scooter."

"Thanks, Mom!" Lia took off towards the royal garage, leaving Mal and Maesi behind in her dust. Mal glanced into her youngest daughter's bedroom and the two of them shared a laugh before she entered.

"How's it going, Maesi-Beth?"

Maesi adjusted her ponytail before smiling at her mom, "Fine. I'm kinda looking forward to it. I can't believe it's been six months since we got together."

Mal smiled and sat down next to her, "I remember your dad and I's 'date' for our six month anniversary. It was Cotillion and I was made a Lady of the Court." Mal smiled at the memories before frowning a little, "Also, Uma put your dad under a love spell and I was actually thinking about running away from Auradon permanently because I was tired of pretending to be something I wasn't."

Maesi cocked an eyebrow up at her, "Yeah, I think I'll stick with the brunch," she said with a laugh.

Mal laughed, "Yeah, our dating life was kinda crazy."

There was a knock on the door and both girls turned to see Ben standing in the doorway. "Hey, baby girl," he said with a smile, "Sorry, but I need to drag your mom away from you. The council are here and I have a feeling people will already be 'debating' by the time we get there."

Mal rolled her eyes, "I swear if we have one more meeting because of this, I might run back to the Isle."

"You've been threatening to do that for twenty-five years. I think I'm going to have to call your bluff," Ben joked as Mal got up and made her way over to him. Mal pulled a face at him before bidding her daughter goodbye and heading out with Ben towards the meeting room.

Maesi smiled at her parents as they left her room before sighing and finishing getting ready. Once she was ready, she went to go stand on her balcony. Her room was at the front of the castle so she could see the grand gates and the city that stretched out behind them. She watched the gardeners who were working in the flower patches around the front entrance, thinking about everything and nothing. Then she saw something that made her smile. A certain brown haired boy had appeared and was making his way into the castle after the gatekeeper had opened the gates for him. He made his way to the front entrance of the castle. Maesi watched as he pulled his phone out of his pocket before stopping just outside of the big doors that opened to the castle. She knew exactly what he was going to do and she was proved right at the sound of her own phone going off in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered the phone.

"Hey, babe," she said, grinning.

"Hey, beautiful," he replied.

"I'll be down in a second," she told him.

"Who says that's why I'm calling? I could be calling to cancel on you last minute," Dylan replied, humour in his tone.

"First of all, you wouldn't dare and second of all, a bit of a waste of time to come all the way to the castle to tell me that," she said, grinning a bit wider.

"How do know I'm at the castle?" He voice was still full of playfulness.

"Look up," she replied simply. Dylan looked up and spotted Maesi leaning over the edge of the balcony slightly as she waved at him.

He waved back before saying, "You know, it would probably be more efficient and less messy if you came down via the stairs."

"Haha," Maesi replied, sarcastically, "I'm on my way. See you in a few." Before he could reply, she hung up and headed out, slipping her phone into her pocket as she did so.

Maesi half ran down the stairs to the front entrance, excited to see Dylan for the first time in a week;he'd been visiting his family as he hadn't seen them much since the start of his gap year and she'd been really busy helping Lia and the rest of the family with the preparations for the coronation. The moment she opened the doors, she flung herself into Dylan's arms, which he was luckily anticipating, as he may have fallen over otherwise. He spun her around before putting her back down, both of them smiling giddily.

"I see you haven't missed me much," Dylan said, grinning cheekily.

Maesi rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she said, also grinning before standing on her tip-toes and pulling him down slightly for a kiss. Dylan smiled into the kiss then slowly pulled away from her.

"Come on, we have reservations and then I thought that we could head back to my apartment for a while," Dylan told her, offering an arm for her to wrap her hands around.

Maesi smiled, "I'd like that. I've wanted to see your new place."

Dylan grinned happily and the two of them headed off to the restaurant where Dylan had made reservations. As they walked, Maesi had leaned into his arm slightly before pulling back with a confused look. "I never noticed this one before," she said, tracing a finger over his many tattoos. He flinched as she did so she pulled her hand away apologetically, but not before she noticed that the skin under it was uneven, as though it had been scarred.

"It's uh, it's one my older ones," he told her.

"Did you tattoo it over a scar?" she asked, curiously.

Dylan nodded briefly, "Old scar. Can't remember where I got it."

Maesi narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious that he might be lying, but chose not to say anything and just continued walking, keeping her hand firmly wrapped around his elbow.

Finally, they reached the restaurant and Dylan opened the door, gesturing her inside, sweetly. "After you."

"Why thank you," she replied, smiling. "Such a gentleman."

Dylan gave her a small smile, confusing Maesi, as he would usually have a sassy comeback. She shrugged it off and walked inside, Dylan right behind her. Dylan placed his hand on the small of Maesi's back and smiled at the man greeting the customers. "Reservations under Cooper."

"Right this way, sir, ma'am." The man led the two of them through the dining room, which had many people dressed in smart casual clothes, eating their meals from white porcelain plates with silver cutlery. The table mats were pale blue and the table cloths were white with gold trimming. Each table had a centrepiece, a pale blue vase with a single, fake, pink rose. They were sat down at a table for two and handed a menu each. Maesi looked up at Dylan whilst they were deciding what to eat, smiling when she caught his eye. Dylan gave her a weak smile back before looking back at the menu.

Maesi was getting a bit concerned, as he hadn't said a word to her since they walked in. Once they'd ordered and given the waiter their menus, Maesi turned to Dylan with a smile.

"So, you mentioned that Hayley was around the other day. How is she?" Maesi asked, finding something to talk about.

"Fine. She and Ezra only stayed for dinner though before leaving."

Maesi smiled and nodded, "That must have been nice to see her."

Dylan just hummed in agreement. Maesi had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming in frustration. He was being so vague and she was getting worried. She tried to ask if he was okay, but he had completely just brushed her off with a simple "I'm fine". In the end, Maesi stopped trying to get him to talk to her and decided to talk to him about the plans for the coronation and all the madness that was going on. It filled a good amount of time and they were halfway through their meal before she ran out of things to say. She would've asked him if he was okay again, but she decided to wait until they were at his apartment, as he'd probably be more willing to confide in her once they were in private. With nothing left to say, they lapsed into silence until their meal was finished.

As soon as their plates were cleared away, Dylan stood up and offered a hand to Maesi, who took it, entwining their fingers as she stood. The two of them made their way out of the restaurant and began walking towards Dylan's apartment. The complex was small but it was neat and pretty, with plenty of plant potters with flowers in them dotted around the area. Dylan led her to one of the tall buildings and opened the door for her before leading her up three flights of stairs. The walls in the hallway were a basic cream and the doors were green. Dylan pulled out his key and let himself and Maesi into his apartment, before placing the key back in his pocket.

"Home, sweet home," he said, gesturing vaguely into the home before them. It was definitely a lot smaller than what Maesi was used to, but that didn't surprise her as she grew up in a castle. His leaving room had two comfy chairs and a few plants as well as a small TV and a bookshelf in the far corner. Right next to it was a kitchen with a small, round table with four plastic chairs dotted around. There were a few doors a little off to the side of the kitchen/dining room and there were a few pictures up as well.

Maesi smiled, "I love it. It's cosy."

"You mean small?" Dylan asked.

"I mean cosy. Trust me, loads of space isn't all it's cracked up to be. Feels kinda lonely."

Dylan managed to crack a small smile before heading into the kitchen and putting the kettle on. Maesi glanced over at him before taking a deep breath and finally voicing what had been on her mind the whole morning. "Are you okay? You've been kinda distant."

"Hmm?" Dylan looked up at her. "Oh, yeah, no, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Like what?" She asked, sitting down on one of the plastic chairs. She then frowned lightly. "Have you been sleeping properly? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," Dylan repeated through gritted teeth. "It's nothing."

"Come on, you can tell me anything," Maesi reminded him.

"Trust me, this, you don't want to know."

"How about you let me be the judge of that?"

"Seriously, Mae, drop it," he turned to her, frustration written all over his face, "You don't need to hear anything that's been happening to me."

Maesi stared at him in disbelief, "I'm your _girlfriend_. I'm supposed to be someone you can confide in. Don't you trust me?"

"Don't you trust me?" he echoed back at her, "Can't you just accept that I don't confide in you for a reason? You're sixteen. You don't need to hear about the horror stories that were my life."

"Stop treating me like a naive child!" Maesi burst out, "I think I have a vague idea what kind of horrors you went through. It's not like my family has never had anyone suffer in that way!"

"So your mother tells you the full story of what happened to her? How she got every scar she has? The endless nights of torment she probably had to endure?" Maesi fell silent, knowing he was right. Her mother had told her that she was abused and a few things that happened, but Maesi didn't know every story. She didn't know what her mother's nightmares consisted of. But that didn't mean that Dylan should never confide in her. Surely her mom had told her dad everything. Dylan carried on talking. "See? So you don't have to try and pry into my past either."

"That's different!" she exclaimed, "She's my mother. But I'm certain she tells Dad everything so why can't you trust me and do the same?"

"Because you don't need to know everything!" He took a deep breath before shaking his head and heading to the door, "I need to go for a walk. Don't worry about locking the door on your way out, it locks automatically."

Dylan then walked out, leaving Maesi alone in her boyfriend's apartment. Quickly, she stood up and left the apartment, hoping to catch him but it seemed that he had begun running and, due to being a werewolf, he ran fast. Frustrated, Maesi made her way back home, trying to work out what she'd said or done wrong. She knew she probably could have been more patient but he was talking to her like she a child! She was sixteen, the same age as her dad had been when he ascended the throne. Surely that showed she was at a mature enough age to handle these things? It was clear he didn't trust her with these things, which made her wonder if he even loved her like he said he did. Surely trust is a big part of love?

She hadn't realised that she'd made it home till she heard murmurs of "Your Highness" and "Princess" around her. She smiled politely at each person who greeted her, greeting them back with their name and a small nod of the head. One of the servants stopped her on her way towards the family wing to inform her that her grandparents had finished moving in and were in the library. Maesi smiled at that. At Lia's request, their Nana Belle and Papa Adam had agreed to once more live in the castle alongside the rest of their family as Lia felt that a castle this big deserved to have the entire family in it. Belle had tried to protest at first, telling her that she was perfectly happy in their mansion, which was slightly smaller than the castle and therefore nicknamed 'The Cottage', but Lia had insisted, so they agreed to move in before her coronation so that they were more available for the craziness that they knew happened in and amongst the planning of it all.

Maesi quickly made her way up the steps and half ran towards the library that her grandpa had given her grandma all those years ago. She loved spending time with them and they always made her feel better when she saw them. Or at least, they usually did. When Maesi walked in, she saw her grandparents curled up together on one of the sofas, a book in Belle's hand and Adam resting his chin on her shoulder as he read along to the words she was reading aloud. When he glanced at his wife, Maesi saw such love in his eyes that it made her own heart shatter. They looked so in love, like nothing could ever separate them and, worst of all, among the adoration and devotion, there was trust in their eyes. If that was love, then maybe she wasn't meant to be with Dylan. Maybe they weren't each other's true love or destined for one another or whatever. Maybe they just weren't...right. Maesi's shoulders sagged at the realisation and she stared at her feet, trying her hardest to not burst into tears right there and then. Just as she turned to leave, she heard her grandma call out her name.

"Mae?"

Maesi turned a forced a small smile. "Hi, Nana. Hi, Papa."

"Something wrong, hun?" Belle asked, putting the book aside. Adam shared her concerned expression as they looked at their youngest granddaughter.

Maesi shook her head, "No, no. Nothing to worry about. Is...uh, is Mom around?"

"I'm afraid the meetings still going on. You'll have to wait a bit," Adam explained gently. "Come sit down, Lilac." He gestured to the seat next to him with his head. Maesi made her way over slowly and sat down next to him. "Want to tell your old papa what's wrong?"

Maesi shook her head, "It's nothing, I promise."

Belle and Adam didn't look convinced but they let it go and chose not to say anything. Instead, Belle picked up the book again and began reading aloud, which made Adam smile once more as he listened intensely to the story. Maesi tried to listen to some of it but she couldn't focus, not with those two looking so in love whilst she didn't even know if Dylan trusted her. Soon she almost felt like it was getting difficult to breathe and quickly stood, throwing an excuse of needing to do something over her shoulder as she sped out of the room and ran towards the conference room.

As she neared it, she heard slightly raised voices from within, knowing this meant that everyone was frustrated and the meeting would be going on for a little while. This didn't stop her though, and she just threw open the door. She was met with stunned silence, everyone staring at her. Mal glanced over at Ben, who just shrugged, also confused by Maesi's out of character behaviour. Maesi ignored all of this and just ran over to her mother.

"What's wrong, Maesi-Beth?" Mal asked as Maesi crouched down next to her.

"Can we talk?" Maesi asked, looking at her mother desperately.

Mal glanced around, "Can it wait?"

Maesi shook her head as her mismatched eyes began to fill with tears, "Please?"

"Okay, okay. Go wait for me in the hall, I'll be right out." Maesi nodded and left the room whilst Mal looked over at Ben and Lia, who'd joined the meeting after her dress fitting, and they nodded at her. Mal excused herself, which stirred up some angry whispers in the room, and left, following her daughter. As soon as the door closed behind her, Maesi flung herself into her mom's arms. She began to sob, tears flowing out of her like a river. Mal shushed her and rubbed her back. "Hey, hey, what's the matter?"

All Maesi managed to choke out was: "D-D-Dylan-" before she interrupted herself with a sob. Mal frowned and slowly began leading Maesi to her room so that they could talk easier. Maesi's sobs lessened as they entered the room and sat down on her bed. Mal pulled Maesi into a hug once they were sat down and began rubbing her back again. Finally, Maesi calmed down enough that she would be able to speak.

"All right, Maesi-Beth, it's all right. What did Dylan do?"

Maesi sniffed, "I don't think he trusts me, Mom. He treats me like I'm a naive child and he doesn't confide in me. I don't understand!" She let out another sob, "And if he doesn't trust me enough to tell me what bothers him, does he even love me? Are we even meant to be?"

Mal sighed, sadly, "Oh, Mae, if only it were that simple."

Maesi looked up at her mom, confused, "What do you mean?"

Mal brushed a lock of lilac hair out of Maesi's face and smiled at her, "I don't think he's not confiding in you because he doesn't love you but rather the opposite. He's doing it _because_ he loves you." Maesi just furrowed her brow even more. Mal sighed again. "He's trying to protect you. He had a horrible past and was told to do horrible things. He doesn't want you to ever know that such things could even be possible and he's probably afraid of what you'll think of him."

"But why wouldn't he just tell me that?"

"Most likely because he was frustrated. If you were pushing him, he would've gone into defensive mode, as opposed to telling you exactly why he wasn't telling you anything."

"We've been together for six months, though! Surely I have the right to know some of what happened to him, especially if it might change my view on him?"

"That's up to him, Maesi-Beth. Nudge him occasionally, remind him that you love him and that he can trust you, but don't push him. He'll tell you in his own time. I didn't really tell your dad anything till six or seven months into our relationship and it was only because we had new kids coming over that I told him what life was like for me, so he knew never to leave other VKs on the Isle for that long."

Maesi looked down, "Why is it this hard, though? You and Dad and Nana and Papa make it look so easy!"

"Oh, trust me, there are times where all of us have wondered if it was worth all this hassle that comes with it. Nana and Papa have had their fair share of fights and me and your dad certainly have." She ran a hand through Maesi's hair, "It's not going to be easy, but you have to learn that these things take time. Talk to him, okay? Tell that you're willing to wait for him to be ready and that will show to him that you trust him and that he can trust you."

Maesi nodded, "Okay. Thanks, Mom." She hugged Mal, tightly, "I'm sorry I pulled you out of that meeting."

Mal laughed, "Trust me, I'd rather be giving relationship advice than be stuck in that meeting again. I am this close to taking a page out of my mother's book and casting a sleeping spell on them all."

Maesi giggled and hugged her mom again. As soon as she let go, Mal stood up and smiled at Maesi before leaving the room to go see if the meeting was over. Maesi smiled, knowing what she had to do. She picked up her phone and dialled Dylan's number.

"Hey, Dylan?" There was a brief pause, "Look, I'm sorry. Can we talk?" Another pause, "Great, our spot, half an hour. Oh, and Dylan? I love you."

 **AHH, I FINALLY FINISHED IT! This one took me longer than it should have. Here you go, Eli201!**

 **Request Counter: 11**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Grace: I'm glad you liked it :)**

 **DragonEmperor999: (99) I'm sorry? (100) Thanks!**

 **SusieBeast: Yeah, I know, I want to cuddle her too! And no, I'm not trying to make drama between the girls. Anything that you may have viewed as jealousy was probably just sibling/family banter.**

 **Guest.I: She definitely one of my favourites! And I agree, shame on you Maleficent.**

 **Eli201: Nope, I want that too. And I'm so glad I managed to do this so well for you! Also, yass. I enjoyed writing that bit.**

 **Kate cheese: Maybe… but I completely agree. She needs to be protected from all that is not good or pure.**

 **coco jones: Thanks!**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	102. My Life, My Choices (Daesi)

Like most days in Auradon, the day started with a beautiful sunrise and a promise of sunshine for the rest of the day. Sleepy citizens remained curled up in bed, basking in the joy of it being a Saturday. Weekend workers, mainly teenagers, were getting ready for their shifts. Over at Auradon Prep, the tourney coach had his team up at the crack of dawn and was having them warm up, ready to start training for the big game the following week. In town, a famous tailor turned her sign from closed to open and then went to go finish up some of her dresses in the side room where all the real work happened. She smiled when she looked outside and saw a bird fly past her window. The bird soared over the town and past the people until it finally settled on one of the many balconies on a huge castle. It chirped at the inhabitants of the room, one of whom was fast asleep and the other was just staring lovingly at the woman who had pinned him down in her sleep, meaning he couldn't get up without waking her. The bird chirped again before flying around the castle to see a lilac-haired girl step onto her own balcony and smile at the bird who flew past.

Maesi leaned gently on the railing of the balcony, looking down at the front gardens below, before taking a deep breath of fresh air. She loved mornings. It was something she'd definitely inherited from her dad, as her mom would sleep until midday if she was allowed. A gentle breeze blew past, causing Maesi to shiver quickly before pulling the dressing gown she was wearing tighter around her body. Her phone pinged and she unlocked it to see a text from her dad, complaining about her mother not moving. Maesi had to laugh. She knew that now they were no longer the king and queen of Auradon, Mal had banned Ben from waking her up before she was ready unless it was absolutely necessary and if she had him pinned down, he was trapped.

"Looks like I've got to go save Dad," she said to no one in particular. "Goodness help me when Mom kills me."

Maesi left her room and went across the hall to her parents' room. "Mom?" she asked, knocking on the door as she walked in, "You awake yet?"

Ben quickly shut his eyes to pretend he wasn't wide awake when Mal began to stir. He rubbed his eyes as she sat up, looking at her daughter with bleary sleep filled eyes. "Huh?" Mal asked, "I am now, apparently. What's up?"

"I can't decide what style to wear for my date with Dylan. Can you give me a hand?"

"You couldn't ask your sister?" She replied although she was already half-way out of bed.

"Early meeting," Maesi replied. Mal sighed and nodded, reaching for her robe as she got up.

"Yeah, okay, I'll help you." As Mal made her way towards her daughter, Ben slowly sat up and mouthed 'Thank you' to his youngest daughter, who just rolled her eyes at him and shot him a text reading 'You owe me', then followed her mother out of the room.

"What styles are you looking at then?" Mal asked, more awake now that she was moving.

Maesi went into her closet and pulled out some clothes. "Do I go punk rock?" She held up a pair of black jeans and a leather jacket, as well as a light grey corset top, "Or preppy chic?" In the other hand, she held a long, black A-line skirt with a flutter sleeve, grey blouse. "Or should I mix and match and go preppy punk?"

Mal smiled, "You know my answer to that is 'Always go preppy punk'." Mal stopped for a second and looked thoughtful. "Your father put you up to this, didn't he? He was stuck under me when I woke up."

Maesi shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mal rolled her eyes, "You thought I wouldn't notice the dress laid out on your chair?"

Maesi nearly face-palmed herself when she realised she'd already laid her outfit out. "I plead not guilty."

"Guilty of being aiding and abetting," Mal shot back, "Oh, is your dad in for it now." And with that, Mal left the room, leaving Maesi giggling. Her dad was going to be really annoyed that his plan didn't work.

As she began putting the outfits away, she heard a shriek of laughter followed by a "Benjamin Florian, you put me down right now!" from her parents' bedroom. She closed her door, rolling her eyes, knowing that her dad had obviously picked Mal up (and probably spun her around) just to try and get out of trouble with his wife. Maesi pulled on her onyx, a-line, three-quarter-sleeved dress and began doing her hair and make-up. As she began putting her jewellery on, her door banged open and Lia walked into the room before flinging herself onto her sister's bed.

"Ugh."

"Morning to you, too, Lala," Maesi said sarcastically, as clipped her necklace around her neck. She then turned around to face her sister.

"Ellie, why did I agree to be queen again?"

"Because you've trained your whole life for it and you've always said that not only was it your duty but your birth-right. Not to mention, it meant that you definitely had a job once you left college."

"Ugh."

"Meeting that bad?" Maesi asked.

"My so-called adviser called this super early morning meeting just so that we could talk about the fact that I'm unmarried and heirless. Again! I swear, if that man brings up that up one more time, I will beast out."

"You said that last time," Maesi reminded her, "And the time before that and the time before that."

"She's like your mother, then." Ben and Mal were suddenly standing in the doorway, "Threatens to do things that she can't bring herself to do in the end."

"Watch it, Ben. You're on thin ice," Mal warned him.

"And suddenly, my room is _the_ place to be," Maesi huffed, only slightly playfully, "Can't you guys please go deal with your problems elsewhere? I have a date." To emphasise her point, she picked up her handbag and slipped it over her shoulder before making a 'shoo' motion with her hands.

Mal and Ben respectfully backed off and began heading towards the dining room whilst Lia just lay on her bed staring at her sister.

"Why don't you just be queen? You won't have this problem, you have a boyfriend."

"My boyfriend is a werewolf. Not sure they'd approve," Maesi reminded her, "Now I have to go, so please, get out."

Lia held her hands up in defence, got up and left. She headed towards the dining room, following her parents.

Maesi's phone began to ring making her sigh in relief. "Please tell me you're here," she said, answering the phone.

"Family driving you up the wall?" Dylan replied.

"Just being in my room whilst I'm trying to get ready," Maesi replied, making her way towards her open bedroom door, "I'll be down in a minute."

"Oh, I was actually calling for a rain-check."

Maesi stopped in her tracks, "You'd better be kidding."

Dylan laughed, "Of course I am. Now come on, I'm getting bored." Maesi sighed with relief and hung up before going down to the main doors, where Dylan stood.

"Hey," he said, with a slightly lopsided grin. Maesi just hugged him. "Missed me?"

"I saw you yesterday," she commented. She paused briefly before adding: "Yes."

Dylan chuckled and pulled away, entwining his fingers with hers. "Well, let's go get some breakfast. I know a really good café. Some AP students sometimes go there for breakfast on a weekend as well, so you might know it."

"I guess we'll see," she replied.

And so they set off and made their way towards the city centre, hand-in-hand. They chatted and laughed and enjoyed being in one another's company as they walked. Once in the city centre, Maesi found herself being greeted by many of her friends who had chosen to go out for breakfast or were heading to their jobs. Maesi cheerfully greeted them back, squeezing Dylan's hand in reassurance when he looked slightly uncomfortable due to people stopping for a quick chat.

Finally, they made it to the café. It was a small, cosy looking place, with cushioned chairs and round wooden tables. The walls were sandstone coloured, and the floor was a dark wood. A large, glass case sat next to the counter, full of all kinds of goodies. Behind the counter, baristas in mustard coloured shirts and black aprons stood behind the counter serving customers. Dylan told Maesi to go find them a seat near the window whilst he fetched them some breakfast. Maesi nodded and headed over to small, two people table and sat down in one of the chairs. She looked over at Dylan and watched as he interacted with the barista, giving his order and paying for it. As he waited patiently for their food, Dylan looked over at Maesi and winked, which still made her blush, every time. Maesi watched as he picked up the tray with their breakfast on and made his way over to her.

"Voilà," he said, placing the tray in front of her. "Breakfast for two."

Maesi smiled and took a sip of her coffee, smiling when she noticed he'd gotten her order just right without even having to ask. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak though, Dylan glanced outside and groaned.

"Here come the jocks," he sighed, running a thumb up and down the handle of his cup as he stared down into it.

Maesi looked at him questioningly after glancing outside to see the tourney heading their way, pushing each other around and laughing together. "What's your problem with the tourney team? They can be really lovely."

"You're the crown princess and best friends with the captain," Dylan pointed out, "They kinda have to be nice to you. Me, on the other hand, they love throwing dirty looks at."

"Okay, first of all, we're more like cousins than best friends," Maesi replied, picking up a muffin from the tray, "And secondly, that's because they don't know you. They'd love you if they knew the real you. Besides, you play sports too."

Dylan raised an eyebrow at her. "Volleyball and tourney are incredibly different."

Before Maesi could retort, the bell at the door jingled and the loud voices of the tourney team came in like a gust of wind. They all called out hellos to the baristas before splitting up into two groups, one to find them seats and one to take the orders. There seemed to be no verbal communication about this or about orders or anything between the two groups and still there was this clear understanding as money was passed over. A few of them took the table next to Maesi and Dylan. Maesi glanced over at Dylan to see him squirming slightly so she reached out and squeezed Dylan's hand that was tapping the table in a nervous rhythm. He glanced up at her and gave her a strained smile before entwining their hands. Not letting go of his hand, Maesi glanced over to the jocks on the table next to them. There were two there. One was light skinned with violent green eyes and a dark brown buzz cut. The second was a boy with light African-American skin, dark hazel eyes and chin-length walnut brown hair that had a few teal streaks in it.

"Hey, guys."

The boys turned to her, "Maesi, hey!"

"Hey Pierson, hey Tommy," she greeted warmly.

"This the mystery guy, then?" Pierson said, leaning on his fist, giving Dylan a once over.

Dylan looked at Maesi confused, "Mystery guy?"

Maesi shrugged, "They've made it some kind of goal to work out who I was dating without looking at tabloids or gossip magazines or anything. But, with your travelling, they haven't had much time to catch us. Hence why it's taken them a year," she explained, "And yes. This is Dylan."

Tommy held out a hand which Dylan politely shook, letting go quickly. "Nice to meet you, man. You must be really special. Maesi left a lot of broken hearts 'cause of you."

Dylan's eyes hardened a little, "A lot of guys have been asking her out?"

Maesi laughed and squeezed his hand again, causing his eyes to soften up again. "You're not the only with good taste in girls, you know," she said with a wink. Dylan managed a small smile at his and squeezed her hand back.

"Okay, I gotta know," Pierson said suddenly, making the couple look at him, "VK or AK?"

"Uh..." Dylan looked at a loss for what to say and discomfort rippled through his body again.

Maesi rolled her eyes, "Guys, we are not doing this now."

"Bloody hell, Maesi! You're killing us here," Tommy complained in his Scottish drawl.

"No," Maesi replied, "I am not going to encourage you two."

Dylan looked between the three teenagers, who appeared to be staring each other down, the boys with pleading eyes and Maesi with her icy, stubborn look. "Uh, what's going on?"

Maesi rolled her eyes, "These two are always betting about stupid things. Last week, Tommy bet Pierson ten dollars that he could eat a whole box of powdered doughnuts in two minutes."

"Okay, he cheated. He bought a box of four doughnuts," Pierson argued, whilst Tommy just smirked.

"I didn't cheat. I was resourceful. There's a difference."

Maesi gave Dylan a look that said 'See what I mean?'

Dylan laughed, "Okay, but how would you be encouraging that?"

Maesi trapped her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it with a sigh, "Since trying to discover who you are, the boys have taken bets on different aspects about you. They basically are trying to make money off of our love life."

Dylan shifted again, his gaze suddenly dropping to his cup. "I didn't realise that our love life was of such interest to people."

Maesi laughed, "These two just have nothing better to do with their lives. They're jealous that I actually have one."

Tommy looked at her offended, "I'm almost five months into a relationship, thank you very much."

"Then stop poking your nose into mine," Maesi retorted, "Speaking of, where is Kamryn?"

"Coach Jay wanted her to stay behind. They're probably going over some tourney stuff."

"Or family stuff," Pierson suggested, "You never really know with them."

"Joys of having your dad as a coach," Tommy replied, "But don't think that the conversation getting side-tracked stops me from wanting to know," he said suddenly, turning back to the couple. Maesi sighed, hoping that they'd forgotten. "Come on, Dylan, humour us."

Maesi rolled her eyes, "You don't have to," she told him, gripping his hand firmly, "As I said, it's just a stupid bet."

Dylan closed his eyes and sighed before shrugging. "What was the question again?"

"VK or AK?" Pierson repeated his words from earlier.

"VK," Dylan admitted, "I was actually born on the Isle-"

"Yes!" Tommy pumped his fist in the air, "Told you he would be. Cough it up, mate."

Dylan furrowed his brow a little as Pierson grumbled, pulling out a five dollar bill and handed it over. Maesi frowned at the tourney boys, clearly annoyed. She knew how hard it was for Dylan to open up to people so the fact that he was willing to tell them a little bit about himself was a big step. And they just rudely interrupted him for the sake of five dollars.

Suddenly, they were joined by another person, carrying a tray. "Oh, hey, Maesi, you're here too,"

"Hi Julian," Maesi replied, picking a piece of her muffin and sticking it in her mouth. Julian was the short but well-built goalie of the Fighting Knights, his spiky red hair making his head seem like it was on fire.

"And you must be Dylan," Julian said, nodding at the guy, "I've heard a lot about you."

Tommy sat up very straight all of a sudden, "Wait, what? Seriously? Maesi wouldn't say a peep when I asked her!"

"Because Julian wasn't trying to find information due to a bet. He genuinely wanted a conversation with me."

Tommy rolled his eyes at Maesi before his phone went off. "Ah, Kamryn isn't sure which café we're in so I'm going to go get her."

"You could just text her the name, you know," Pierson said.

"Sod off," Tommy replied as he got up and left.

A short silence fell upon the group of young people before Pierson broke the silence.

"So, just out of curiosity, how did you two meet?" he asked, giving Dylan a quick once over, his eyes lingering briefly on his tattooed arm.

Maesi and Dylan shared a small smile that indicated an inside joke. "Well, he used to visit my parents once a year so we kinda ran into each other. Two weeks later, we were going on our first date."

"And your parents approve?"

Maesi looked at him confused, "Why wouldn't they? I was the same age they were when they started dating and Dylan's a good guy, so there is no reason why not."

"But...he's a VK," Pierson said, lowering his voice slightly. Maesi saw Dylan shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye.

"I mean, technically so am I. Or at least, my mom is," Maesi reasoned, "And even if she wasn't, VKs coming to Auradon was Dad's idea, so they're not bigoted about that sort of thing."

Pierson raised a disapproving eyebrow, "Yeah but you're the crown princess. The heir to the throne. Shouldn't you be dating someone noble?"

Dylan let go of Maesi's hand and clenched the edge of the table instead, turning his knuckles white in the process. Maesi shot him a warning look before turning back to Pierson. "Actually, that hasn't been a law for a long time. My mother wasn't noble. My grandmother wasn't noble either. We can marry who we want."

"So, you're just going through a bad boy phase then?" Pierson said, looking as though he thought this was something that made complete sense.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, obviously you wouldn't marry him. He's obviously just after your crown."

Nobody had time to answer. One second, Maesi was opening her mouth to chew him out, the next, Pierson was bent over, covering his face where Dylan had just punched him.

"Dylan!"

"What the hell, man?" he demanded, moving his hand from his jaw. Dylan just growled at him whilst Maesi apologised on his behalf.

Maesi stood up and grabbed Dylan's arm, "We're leaving. Now." Dylan tried to resist but Maesi eyes flashed emerald green so he followed her.

Once they were away from the café, Maesi let go of him and rounded on him. "What the hell was that?"

"He said that I was only in it for your crown!"

"So what?" Maesi shot back, "He's jealous! He's been asking me since he got to Auradon Prep but I always said no."

"Oh and that gives him the right to insult me, does it?" Dylan demanded.

"No, but it doesn't give you the right to hit him either! If he insults you, ignore him! Don't give him a reason to be proved right!"

"Proved right? So you think I'm in it for the crown as well, then?"

"That's not what I'm saying! I'm just saying that he already was listing reasons as to why he didn't think we should be together. You didn't need to add another to his list!"

"Oh, what do you care? It's not like this was ever going to last! Once people find out the truth about me, they will never accept me and you'll realise that dating me was a mistake!"

"Seriously? You think I'd leave you just because the public isn't okay with it? I don't care what people think, Dylan! But if you think otherwise, maybe we should break up."

Dylan scoffed, "Seriously? So that's it? You're just going to dump me? Just like that?"

"You're the one who thinks we're not going to last, so why waste my time in a relationship where my partner doesn't seem to want to even try?"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe this relationship is a waste of time."

Maesi huffed, "I need some time to think. And you need to get your act together." Maesi began walking away.

" _I_ need to get my act together?" Dylan called after her.

"Yes!" Maesi cried, spinning round to face him, "You know how much I hate violence yet you always resort to it first. And I don't know how much longer I can keep making excuses for you!" She huffed, "Just give me some time." And so, she walked away. Her mind was screaming as she headed back to the castle. Part of her wanted to run back to Dylan, to apologise to him, to promise him that it wasn't over, to tell him she loved him, but a larger part of her just wanted to get home, back to her family and to her own room where she can just curl up in bed and forget what just happened. She took a deep breath when she entered the castle and began making her way into her room. Just as she passed the dining room doors, they flung open and her family came out, chatting lightly as they did so.

"Hey, Maesi-Beth, you're back early," Mal said, upon spotting her youngest daughter, "Everything okay?"

Maesi tried to open her mouth to speak but when she did, a giant sob escaped her mouth. She just shook her head, turned and ran the rest of the way to her room, tears flowing freely down her cheeks by the time she shut her door behind her. She slid to the floor and pulled her knees into her chest, crying into them. Sob after sob flowed out of her. She was powerless to stop them. After what felt like ages, she heard the sound of feet outside her door and gentle knock.

"Maesi?" It was her dad. "What's wrong, baby girl?"

"I-i-it's all my f-f-fault!" Maesi managed to choke out between sobs.

"What is, sweetheart? Why don't you let me in so we can talk about, hey?"

Maesi slowly stood up and opened the door, hands shaking as she did so. Ben stood outside, looking concerned as he opened his arms up. Maesi threw herself into them and just sobbed for a while, crying into her dad's shirt. She gripped onto him like a lifeline, not being to bring herself to let go until her sobs finally quietened into sniffles. She pulled back from her dad and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, dad. I've ruined your shirt."

Ben waved it off, "Your mother will thank you. She's always hated this shirt."

Maesi giggled a little and wiped her face again.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Maesi's shoulders drooped all of a sudden, "I...I nearly broke up with Dylan. He punched someone for insulting him and I lost it at him. Then he started going on about we're not going to last because people are never going to accept him so I told him that if that's what he thought, then I must be wasting my time." Ben nodded, unsure of what to say. "He asked me if I was dumping him and I told him that I have to think about it. I'm so tired, Dad. I don't know if I even made the right choice with him. What if we're not destined to be together?"

Ben sighed, "Let's go sit down, baby girl." Maesi nodded and the two of them went to sit on her bed. "Why don't you think you made the right choice?"

Maesi sighed, "Our relationship isn't easy. We hit so many bumps and we have so many spats. He reacts to things violently and it's difficult to deal with."

"Okay, well, no relationship is easy, baby girl. They take work from both people. And he can get help for the violence thing if that's what's worrying you."

Maesi sighed and put her head in her hands, "How did you know, Dad?"

"How did I know what?" he asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"How did you know Mom was the one?"

Ben sighed, "Well, I listened to my heart."

Maesi huffed, "Great. A cheesy line, that'll help me."

"Hey, it might sound cheesy, but it's true," Ben replied, "Maesi, is your heart telling you to be with Dylan? Because if it is, it is your decision whether or not you listen to it. You're a smart girl. You make the choice that's best for you. No one can make that decision for you. People will always have an opinion, but it's up to you whether or not you listen to what they say."

"But for you and Mom, it's so easy," Maesi sighed.

Ben barked out a laugh, "Oh, no it wasn't. Trust me. We fought, we had struggles, heck, we nearly broke off our engagement two weeks before the wedding. But we got through it because we chose each other and we worked on it. Even now, we occasionally have to remind ourselves why we made that choice."

"So, you're saying that I need to work on it with Dylan?" Maesi asked, almost hopefully.

"I'm saying that you need to make that choice for yourself. Listen to your heart."

Maesi stared at her dad for a few seconds before smiling. "I want to be with Dylan."

Ben smiled at her, "Then you know what you need to do."

Maesi sprang up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad, you're the best."

"I know," he replied, grinning. He got up and gently kissed her forehead, "I'll go let the others know that you're okay."

Maesi nodded and was already searching for her trainers by the time he'd gotten to the door. After trading her high-heels for her black high-tops, Maesi set off. She half walked, half ran to Dylan's flat, wishing on every star that he was there. Twice on the way she nearly turned back, terrified that he wouldn't want to speak to her or that she'll try to speak to him but he'll dump her anyway, but she knew that it was a risk worth taking because she wasn't going to let him go without a fight. Her heart was pounding by the time she reached his door. Her hand shook as she knocked.

When the door opened, the first thing Maesi saw was that his sky-blue eyes were glowing slightly yellow, a warning sign that he sent out when he was angry. His eyes softened when he realised who was standing there. "Mae."

"Hey, Dylan," Maesi replied, "I think we should talk."

Dylan nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Of course. Come in." He opened the door and let Maesi step inside. She headed over to the sofa and sat down, her hands folded in her lap as she waited for him to join her. Dylan, however, remained standing. "You wanted to talk?"

Maesi nodded, "Yeah. Please sit down. I'm already shorter than you as it is, I don't need to strain my neck just to talk to you."

Dylan's mouth twitched a little as he sat down on the other side of the sofa, respectfully keeping his distance.

"Look, Dylan, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not mad at you about punching Pierson. He's a jerk but that didn't mean you had the right to hit him."

Dylan sighed, "So you're here to lecture me again? Look, if you want to break up with me, just do it. I know I'll never be good enough for the kingdom so you may as well get it over with and not drag this out longer than it needs to be."

"I'm not breaking up with you, Dylan," Maesi said, placing a hand between them.

"You're not?" Dylan looked at Maesi hand as though he wanted nothing more than to grab it but it would disappear if he did.

"Look, Dylan, I get that the kingdom won't always approve but I don't care. It's my life and so the choices I make are my own. I choose you, Dylan. The question is, despite how hard it's going to be, do you still choose me?"

Dylan smiled at her, "Without a doubt."

Maesi grinned and shifted closer to him, "Well, there are going to be things we're going to have to work on, like getting you help about your violence issues and I'm going to have to try and learn to be more patient with you, but I think if we work on it, we're going to be okay."

Dylan put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. "Aren't I supposed to be the adult in this relationship?"

"You're twenty. Hardly an adult. Now, shut up and kiss me," Maesi replied, placing her arms around his neck.

"Yes ma'am," Dylan replied as he leaned in.

 **Whoop, it's done! Here you go Eli201. Hope you like it!**

 **HAPPY 100** **th** **ONESHOT PEOPLE! (Yes, I know it's chapter 102, but two of the chapters are not oneshots)**

 **So, I watched the music video for Good to be Bad yesterday and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the costumes, the set, the choreography and the message of the song are all amazing, but I found the song itself a bit of a let down. It may be just because it's so different from all the other Descendants songs that I wasn't able to enjoy it as much, but that means that if I listen to it a few more times, I'll probably enjoy it. I hope so, anyway.**

 **Request Count Down: 10**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **kbear100: I'm sorry, I'm not taking requests at the moment but something like that may turn up in some of my stories, depending on the prompt, so keep an eye out and if not, feel free to request this one again once the requests are open.**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks! I hope you had one, too!**

 **Eli201: I'm so happy you loved it so much! I really hope this one was just as good.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: When is badass not a good thing? ;) And I'm very happy you loved it!**

 **Guest.I: Aww, I think Maesi's great too and I love getting to write about her. Also, 200? Let's try getting to 150 or so first XD**

 **Atek: (100) That would be great but unfortunately the requests are closed. I'd love to do though, so if you request it once the requests have been opened, I can definitely give it a shot.**

 **SusieBeast: I'm so glad you loved this one! Maesi is one of my favourites to write about (even though she's not officially mine) so I absolutely agree that everything with Maesi is brilliant.**

 **Guest: I love Mal as a mom, too! And yes, her family is definitely an adorable one.**

 **Kate cheese: It's very sad to see them fight but they have a bumpy relationship. What matters though, is that they love each other and they'll always come back to each other.**

 **Maniey: *Auradon screams* I think I was a mess after writing it.**

 **Lo: (3) Well, I already have two oneshots about Mal being pregnant so I hope those were okay.**

 **Lousaliloklopyns: (21) Thanks! And wow, that is a very long name, indeed.**

 **Elijah: I'm so glad you like it so much! Means a lot to me that you're enjoying it!**

 **Eliza: (1) I was aware of this, but thank you for letting me know. It was very kind of you to take time to make sure I knew.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	103. Those Three Little Words (Bal)

The afternoon had become so warm that most of the students of AP were out on the field, sat in the grass or on the picnic tables that were dotted around. At one end of the field, one of the students had brought their guitar out so the whole group had ended up becoming a massive sing-along session. A few metres away from them, another group sat gossiping and retelling all their favourite details from Cotillion, which had been a week ago and was somehow still an exciting topic (although, admittedly, the king being put under a love potion and a sea-witch attack were pretty exciting things).

On one of the picnic tables nearby, the teenage king himself was sat with his friends, chatting and laughing, an arm casually curled around his girlfriend's shoulders, their fingers entwined. Suddenly, his phone beeped. Using his free hand, Ben carefully pulled it out of his pocket and sighed when he saw the reminder that was on his phone.

"I've got a meeting with my advisers," he said, to everyone, although he was looking at Mal.

"You'd better not be late then," Mal told him, letting go his hand, "I'll text you later."

"Not if I text you first," Ben replied, pecking her lips gently.

"Love you," Mal said as he got up. Ben stared at her for a few seconds before leaning down and kissing her again, for a little longer this time.

"Alright, alright," Carlos suddenly said, "There are still other people here, you know."

The two parted, rolling their eyes, but otherwise ignoring him. Ben shot a quick goodbye at the others then headed off to the school parking lot.

Mal watched him go for a few seconds before turning back to her friends and carrying on the conversation they were having before Ben had left.

Slowly, but surely, people began leaving for various reasons. Mal and Evie left together, about half an hour after Ben; Evie needed to do inventory and Mal had to go over her etiquette for her lessons the next day. They made light chatter as they walked back to their room.

"I wish I could get all of these lessons over with," Mal grumbled lightly, "I know I need to know things and act certain ways to be part of the court but I'm seventeen! Do they really expect me to keep up with all this?"

Evie laughed, "It's not so bad. It's only for the public. Behind closed doors, you're allowed to be yourself."

Mal sighed, "I know you're right. Still sucks though. Magic would make it _so_ much easier," Evie shot her a quick warning look before giggling again and opening the dorm room, immediately going over to her sewing corner and looking through everything she had stored there. Mal sat at her desk and glared at the etiquette book that sat in front of her. After a few seconds, she finally pulled the book towards her and opened it to the page she'd left off on. She also found her notebook so that she could write down the things she needed to remember.

"Okay, this is ridiculous. Why do they need a fork for every different kind of food?" Mal demanded after a while, "On the Isle, we ate with our hands and were done with it."

Evie looked scandalised, "Ugh, I'm so glad I never went to yours for dinner."

"You telling me you used utensils?" Mal asked eyebrow raised.

"Princess, born and raised," Evie reminded her in a sing-song voice.

Mal rolled her eyes and went back to her book, trying to commit everything to memory as she went through the meal etiquette chapter. Usually, she just watched others but she knew that she probably needed to learn how to do this on her own. After all, she couldn't watch others forever, not to mention, if she was going to be queen, she may actually have to start the meal herself.

Eventually, as the minutes began to tick by, so did the chapters. She managed to get through a few chapters and was reading up on dance steps (why were there so many?) when there was a knock on the door. She ignored it, thinking Evie was going to get it as it was probably one of her clients. She finished the note she was taking when there was another knock. "E, aren't you going to get the door?" Mal asked, looking up to find that she was the only one in the room. Mal didn't realise how engrossed in her studying she was. Evie must've left without her noticing. Judging by the fact that her phone was still there and her notebook wasn't, Evie had probably gone to the science lab to work on new make-up or something extravagant for her new line of fashion. The next knock was a bit louder than the last two and was followed by a voice.

"Mal?" She couldn't help but smile when she heard the voice of her true love (a term that made her almost want to squeal like some of the more annoying prissy, pink princesses). Mal quickly got up and opened the door to find Ben standing there, a massive smile on his face. "Hey. I thought you'd fallen asleep or, you know, climbed out the window and headed to Isle."

"I wouldn't climb out of the window," Mal argued, "I'd go up to the roof and turn into a dragon and fly off. Gotta go out with a bang, right?"

Ben rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Well, if you'd done that, I wouldn't have been able to bring you these." Mal glanced down to his hands, in which he was holding a little plastic box full of strawberries.

Mal grinned, "I love you," she said as she snatched them off of him. Ben laughed again and followed her into her room, pulling up a chair next to her desk. Mal noticed he didn't say the words back but brushed it off. Well, tried to. She had noticed it early that day too but she was certain it was nothing to worry about. At least, she hoped so. She was so lost in her thought that she almost missed Ben beginning to speak again.

"I bumped into Evie after my meeting and she told me that you were studying your etiquette book so hard you didn't even notice her leave. I figured you might need a little reward for working so hard."

Mal smiled at him and leaned forward, kissing him gently, "Thank you."

Ben smiled back and kissed her again. Suddenly there was the sound of a light slap and Ben pulled his hand back from the strawberries he'd been reaching for.

"I love you, but hands off my strawberries." Ben laughed and put his hands in the air in surrender. Mal rolled her eyes at him and turned back to her book as she nibbled on one of the delicious pieces of fruit that he'd brought her. Ben pulled his chair a little closer and rested his head on her shoulder, reading over her shoulder.

"You know, it's much easier to learn dance steps by practising them than by reading them?" Ben said.

Mal turned her head to look at him, "Well, it's a little bit difficult to practice couple dances on your own."

Ben smiled and stood up, pulling his phone out. Suddenly a slow song filled the room and Ben was holding out his hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Mal glanced at the phone he placed on the desk and gave a little laugh, "You really have a playlist called 'Slow songs to dance to'?"

"You know, it's rude to decline a gentleman asking you to dance," Ben said, ignoring her comment.

Mal smiled softly and delicately placed her hand in his, "Yes, you may, Your Majesty."

Ben gently pulled her out her seat and began to lead her in a waltz around the room. He was patient with her (which is more than she could say for her official dance tutor) and didn't seem to mind when she stepped on his toes. He would just kindly tell her that she missed a step or that she was going a beat to fast and start the dance again until he was sure she was confident enough to do without his guidance.

A few songs played through and they somehow found themselves slowly swaying to the music, his arms around her waist and hers around his neck. Mal lifted her head from its place on his chest and looked at him lovingly in the eyes. The hazel eyes that looked back at her seemed to gaze into her soul and she felt like she could look into them forever.

"I love you." The words slipped out of her mouth with an ease that she would've never believed possible before Cotillion. Ben didn't say anything back. He just stared at her, his smile soft, his eyes bright. Mal internally sighed. She hadn't heard him say anything back since Cotillion. He'd always just stared at her or kissed her but he never said it back. Mal wondered if it was some sort of revenge thing? A way to punish her for not saying it back for six months. But, of course, that didn't make sense. Ben wasn't vengeful. The only other explanation she could think of scared her even more than the last. That he was falling out of love with her. That the love spell Uma placed on him made him realise that he didn't actually feel for Mal that way. That finally hearing Mal say it made him realise that it just wasn't as worth it as he thought it would've been.

As Ben leaned down to kiss her again, Mal turned her head away so his lips briefly brushed her cheek before he pulled away confused. "Mal? Are you okay?"

"Do you still love me?" she asked, deciding to rip the bandage off. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, terrified of the answer.

"What?" he sounded taken aback, "Of course I do. Mal, where is this all coming from?"

Mal shook her head, eyes closed, tears threatening to begin spilling. "You haven't said it back. No matter how many times I tell you, you don't say it back. If you don't love me anymore, Ben, just tell me. Please."

"Hey, Mal, look at me." Mal shook her head and so Ben tucked his fingers under her chin and gently turned her head so that she was facing him. Her eyes remained tightly shut. "Mal, please." Slowly, Mal opened her eyes, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision. As the tears slipped down her face, Ben's kind eyes came back into focus. But among the kindness that she had always seen in them, there was a slight fierceness behind them. A fire that was slowly growing till his eyes were both soft and full of passion at the same time. Mal swallowed as Ben spoke, his voice scarily calm.

"Don't ever tell me to say that I don't love you," he told her, "Okay? I love you so much, words couldn't even begin to describe." Mal's heart began to pound in her chest and her lips parted in wonder and confusion. Ben continued talking, his hand cupping her cheek as he did so, "I didn't realise that I hadn't said anything back and I'm sorry. Every time you say it, it leaves me in such awe that I forget how to use my voice. I waited six months to hear it and it amazes me every time, without fail, that I was able to get a girl like you to actually fall in love with me." His thumb slowly began to caress her cheek. "You never have to doubt my love for you, Mal. You woke me from that spell with true loves kiss. That's a two-way street. If my love for you was anything short of true, it wouldn't have worked. I love you so, so much. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing."

Mal's tears were flowing down her face so much now that there didn't seem any stopping them. She let out a watery laugh and pulled his head down so that she could rest her forehead on his. "I love you too," she said, running a hand through his hair. Ben then kissed her, pouring all the emotions he wasn't able to put into words into that kiss, pulling her closer and whispering confessions of love between kisses. The two of them eventually pulled apart and just stood, Mal wrapped up in Ben's arms and her head on his chest. Every whispered 'I love you' between them was a new spark of hope, of joy, of trust and of love.

 **Here you go SusieBeast. I'm really proud of this one, so I really hope you love it!**

 **Also, I'm officially on summer vacation now, so I have 11 weeks until I go back to school (a concept that it both exciting and terrifying for me as I'm about to enter a new dynamic educationally) so I'll hopefully be writing a bit more often. No promises though.**

 **Request Count Down: 9 (single digits, people!)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **Eli201: I loved writing them so much! And I'm so glad you loved the way I portrayed them. I love Ben and Maesi's dynamic too!**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I'm glad you think so and you're welcome. I love writing about couples working out their problems. There is something so hopeful about it all.**

 **Agi: Aww, you're so sweet. And as for that request, I'm afraid that I'm not taking requests till the request counter goes down to 0 but something similar should be appearing soon anyway.**

 **Agata: I love Mal as a mom too! Definitely one of my favourite things to write.**

 **dlbook1: Well, if you're willing to wait for me to finish 9 more oneshots, you can request a few more Huma oneshots and you'd get to read even more ;) I'm so glad you love my writing!**

 **Maniey: I'm so glad you loved it!**

 **Kate cheese: They are adorable. Okay, I don't think that saying Maesi should be queen is really fair seeing as you don't really know Lia except through a few quick scenes. Lia may not have magic but she's a strong leader. The people of Auradon have to deal with the dynamic of Dylan and Maesi whether she is queen or not (like, in real life, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being a new dynamic for the people of the UK) so that point isn't really that valid, I'm afraid.**

 **Guest.I: I'm a big sucker for them too! They're so cute!**

 **SusieBeast: Thank you! I love Daesi too! They're great.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	104. Road Trip to Remember (Bal)

The morning was abuzz and the city of Auradon had come to life. The jostling of the streets and the long lines of cars showed the signs of a normal morning.

By a large apartment complex, a convertible pulled up in one of the parking spaces and a tall, brunette man stepped out of the vehicle. Locking the car as he went, the man slowly made his way up to the third floor of the building nearest to his car and lightly knocked on the white door labelled 304. Inside there were sounds of shuffling and voices as the inhabitants neared the door. It then swung open to reveal a petite, purple-haired woman in a green shirt and purple jeans. Behind her, a blunette was just entering the kitchen. From the said room, the man could hear the sounds of a kettle boiling and of a toaster finishing its job.

"Ben, hey," the purple-haired woman said, "You know I gave you a key for a reason."

Ben chuckled, "Morning Mal, Evie." The blue-haired girl poked her head out of the kitchen to return his greeting. "And I know. I just don't think it's a risk worth taking this early in the morning."

Mal gave him a deadpan look, "Ben, I haven't had my coffee yet. Jokes will not be appreciated until after." She turned from the door and headed into the kitchen, most likely to get herself a coffee, leaving Ben at the front door.

"Who said I was joking?" Ben mumbled to himself as he walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him. It was a rather large apartment, with two massive bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room was furnished with beige sofas - that were covered in colourful pillows and blankets - and light wood furniture. One of the doors that led onto the balcony was open, causing the light blue drapes to flutter gently in the wind. Peaking through the glass double doors were a few plants and flowers, which all seemed to want to come out and say hello on this beautiful morning. By the sofa, a suitcase sat ready to go and a smaller backpack sat on top of it.

Mal walked out of the kitchen again, holding two coffee mugs. She handed one to Ben and sat down on the sofa, sipping it quietly. Ben sat down next to Mal and took a sip of the coffee she'd handed him.

"Once we've finished breakfast, we'll be ready to set off," Mal said, inclining her head towards the suitcase. "I'm packed, I've got the meals and I'm so ready for this break."

Ben laughed, "Just wait till you're queen. You're going to be even more desperate for a break."

Mal groaned, "Don't remind me. I'm trying to enjoy what freedom I have while it lasts."

"Ouch," Ben replied, pretending to look offended.

Mal playfully shoved his chest, grinning lightly, "You know I didn't mean from you. I lost that years ago."

Ben gave an offended laugh. He lightly shook his head at Mal and took another sip of coffee, watching her over the brim of his cup. As she raised her own mug, the light from the windows caught the ring on her left ring finger, making it glint prettily. Although that ring had been there for a few weeks now, it still made Ben want to jump for joy every time he saw it. She had said yes. Despite the fact that he was so sure she would, it still amazed him that she did. By doing so, not only was she saying yes to him, but also to the kingdom, which they would lead together after she was crowned queen (the coronation was to take place a week after the wedding to allow them to go on their honeymoon first).

Evie exited the kitchen, carrying a tray of food in her hands. She placed it down on the coffee table before grabbing the mug that was on it. Ben smiled when he saw that she had made up some breakfast for himself as well. Thanking her, Ben reached for the food and began eating. The three of them chatted happily as they ate, Evie trying to pry any and all details about the wedding out of them – even though they'd only been engaged two weeks so there were virtually no details to talk about, yet. Soon the food was finished and Evie cleared up. She did not let Ben or Mal help, insisting that they should go and enjoy some quality time together. Ben took Mal's suitcase down to the car and she carried her backpack down. Finally, they were ready to go.

As she clicked her seatbelt into place, Mal had a sudden realisation.

"You know, this is the first time we've gone away together and aren't being followed by cameras," she said, looking at Ben as he adjusted his own seatbelt.

Ben looked up at her and smiled, "Yeah, it is."

Mal grinned and leaned over to him, kissing him gently, "Well then, let's blow this popsicle stand and get out of here."

Ben gave her another quick kiss before letting the top of the car down and putting the key in the ignition. Soon they were out of the town and on the open road, their every day lives behind them. Mal pulled her sunglasses out of her bag and put them on, Ben having already done that before they'd left the complex. Ben looked at her out of the corner of his eye, admiring the smile on her face as she tilted her head towards the sky and took a deep breath. She leaned on the door of the car and watched as the scenery passed by. Ben couldn't help but think that she looked so much more at peace than he'd ever seen her, at least during the day. The stresses of school, college, being chased by the media and everything else that she dealt with since arriving in Auradon had just evaporated. This trip was just about him and her. Nothing else. No King of Auradon, no Lady of the Court. Just Ben and Mal.

After a little while, Mal turned her head towards Ben and smiled at him. He risked a quick glance and a quick smile back before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ben asked.

Mal smiled for a few seconds before shrugging, "I'm just happy. It feels so nice to be here and not have to worry about anything else. No wedding, no school, no work. Just us and an open road."

Ben's smile grew. "No restrictions. No one telling us how to act."

Mal nodded, "Exactly." She sat back against her seat and let out a deep breath.

"Wanna put some music on?" Ben asked, grinning. On their previous trips together, they'd never been able to as there was always someone else there, reading out their schedule for their trip or informing them on things that they needed to know.

Mal raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Yes! Absolutely." She plugged in her phone and put on some of their favourite songs. The time slipped by quickly after that. They spent hours driving, chatting, laughing, complaining about the song that was on (Ben), ignoring complaints (Mal) and just enjoying this feeling that together, they could be on top of the world.

That was, of course, until the car began slowing down and then stopped. Ben checked the gas meter. "Ah, no problem. We're just out of gas. The fuel can is in the trunk." He got out of the car and went around to the back. The moment he pulled the fuel can out of the trunk though, he knew something was wrong. "Uh, Mal, didn't you refill this?"

Mal turned around and looked at him. "Why would I have? It's your car."

"I thought I asked you too," he replied.

Mal shook her head, "No, you asked me to pack us some food for the journey."

"Yeah, but I thought I asked you to do this, too?"

"Why would you have asked me to? It's your car!" She exclaimed, gesturing at the vehicle.

"Because I knew I didn't have time to do it. I was busy. I do happen to be running a country, you know," Ben snapped back, throwing the useless fuel can into the trunk again and slamming it shut.

"Oh, don't pull the king card," Mal replied, her face riddled with annoyance, "I know you're busy which is why I wrote down everything you asked me to do. That was not one of them."

"I must've asked you! Otherwise, I would've done it myself. I'm pretty sure I asked you 'Can you refill the fuel can for me?' and you said you would!"

"Clearly, you didn't ask me, did you?" Mal snapped back.

Ben groaned and slammed his hands on the trunk before sighing deeply. "Let's not fight. No matter what happened, we're now stuck here."

"In the middle of nowhere," Mal added, sighing as she sat back. Around them, there was no sign of civilisation. There was nothing but road ahead of them, road behind them, forest on one side and field on the other.

Ben rubbed his forehead and then went to the driver's side of the car, leaning against the door, staring at the forest that was ahead of him. "Cell service?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at Mal. Mal pulled out her phone and shook her head. Ben sighed and stared ahead again. After a few minutes of pondering he spoke up again, "I might know a shortcut through the woods. I'm sure that if we walk for a while, we'll hit civilisation and we can get help."

Mal nodded, "Well, it's the only plan we've got. Leave it to you to choose obscure roads that people rarely travel down." Her tone suggested that she was attempting a joke but it fell flat. Ben shot her look, causing her to shrug apologetically. They both knew why he'd chosen this route and she'd agreed to it, so it was obvious that she wasn't blaming him for anything.

Mal got out of the car and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. She reached for Ben's hand and entwined their fingers. He brought the hand he held up to his lips and kissed it gently, a wordless apology. Mal squeezed his hand and gestured to the forest, asking him to take the lead. He set off and Mal followed. Slowly he made his way through the woods, looking for any sign of a path or something that might tell them that civilisation was around. They walked through long grass, ducked under low branches and narrowly avoided stinging nettles. At some point, Mal let go of Ben's hand and just followed along behind him, clearly becoming more and more annoyed judging by how harshly she pushed back branches and how loud her huffs were becoming.

"I think we're almost at a path," Ben said for what felt like the thousandth time since they set off. "Not long now, I'm sure of it."

"Ben, stop," Mal said, throwing her arms down, "This is ridiculous. We're in the middle of nowhere. This forest is clearly untouched by humans and we have no idea what we're doing or where to even start looking."

"Do you have a better idea?" Ben snapped, turning to her, "Because I'm all ears."

"We head back to the car. If we go now, we should make it before nightfall. Then, we wait. Someone is bound to find us eventually."

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He then nodded. "Okay, you're right. Do you know the way back?"

Mal nodded, "I have a good sense of direction. Come on." She held out her hand to him, which he took carefully. Then, walking in front of him, Mal began to lead them back to the car. Their feet were sore and their legs tired by the time they got back to the car. Just as they did, the sun had begun to set. Quick as they could, they set up camp in the field next to them. Luckily it was August and they had packed food so there was no need to build a fire or anything. They laid out the picnic blanket they had brought and sat on it, curled up together as the sun's final rays disappeared on the horizon. As the stars began appearing in the night sky, the two of them lay back. Mal laid her head on Ben's chest and looked up at the stars as he pointed out constellations.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked, after a while.

Ben lowered his hand which was pointing out another star in the sky, "My dad taught me. He loved astronomy. It was something to do during the curse, apparently. I hope to teach it to my kids one day," he admitted, studying her reaction.

"Kids?" she asked, "As in more than one?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I grew up an only child and I don't think I want my kids to do the same. Why, do you not want more than one?"

Mal shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about it," she admitted, tucking her chin on his shoulder. "I've never thought of myself as a mother."

Ben rolled over on his side, resting his cheek on his hand. Mal mirrored his position but struggled to look him in the eye. "Really?" he asked.

Mal nodded, "Yeah. I mean, it's not like I had this amazing mother that made me want nothing more than to be her, you know? I guess just don't think I'd be much good at it."

"Now, that I don't believe." Mal looked at him curiously, prompting him to keep talking. "You're caring, considerate, kind, loving, protective. You have the making of a good mother. Not to mention you were so good with that little girl at our engagement ball."

"Madeline?" Mal asked, thinking about the little girl who had come up to her at the ball, "I mean, I guess, but it's different from being a mother."

"Maybe, but I think it showed that you're going to be a good mother someday. You're good with kids."

Mal smiled, "I mean, maybe. I don't know though. Would it be a deal breaker if I didn't want kids?"

Ben shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, the kingdom would probably force me to take a different wife in order to ensure that I have a legitimate heir."

"Oh, right. An heir. No pressure then," Mal replied, lying on her back.

"Hey, Mal, it's not going to happen. If you don't want children, I could probably learn to live with that. As for the heir, Chad would take over, or his children would. It's not like we have no other options."

Mal sighed. "But you want kids?"

Ben nodded, "I do."

Mal looked at him again, "Maybe I will too. I've never thought about it really." She paused for a few seconds, "You really think I'd make a good mother?"

Ben smiled and nodded, "I really do."

A smile crept onto Mal's face and she rolled over, placing an arm on his shoulder. Ben saw her thoughts whirring around in her head through her eyes. Eventually, she shuffled closer to him, "I think I like the sound of a little combination of you and me running around."

Ben smiled down at her as he pulled her into his chest, "I like the sound of that too."

Mal curled up into him and Ben's arms went around her protectively. Then, the two of them slowly drifted off into sleep.

They were found the next morning by some people who passed by, seeing the vehicle in the middle of the road and the two teenagers curled up together. They towed the car to the nearest gas station and dropped the teens off there. It wasn't the weekend away they hoped for, but both Ben and Mal would tell you that it was one of the best they had. Curled up beneath the stars together, they had felt freer than ever.

 **Here you go SusieBeast. I really hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Request Count Down: 8**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **xez2003: I am so happy you loved this one! Also, shh, no spoilers. I don't think the book is out in my country yet (or at least it's not in the bookstores of my small town yet).**

 **DragonEmperor999: (102) Thank you so much! (103) Yasss**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: It really isn't hard to imagine at all. And yes she does.**

 **Moon-Princess-Serena1993: Aww, thanks!**

 **Damango: (23) I'm so happy you like them! (60) Ahh, I'm so glad you love it. Also, OMG I LOVE LUNAR CHRONICLES (rereading Cress at the moment)**

 **Guest: (12) I'm so glad that you loved this one so much. I aim to try and make oneshots just as long as that one but it can be really difficult. Writing is hard, believe it or not XD (19) Thank you! That means so much to me! (20) Ahh, I'm happy you liked it! (22) I'm happy you liked it! (23) I'm so glad you loved it! Protective Jay is definitely one of my favourites to write. (33) Yes, they are. (34) Same! (40) I'm so glad you think that! (43) Thank you so much! (44) I wasn't sure about it at the time, but now I'm glad someone requested it, lol. (46) Yes, I completely agree. (47) XD (56) Overprotective men is definitely one of my favourite things to write. (57) Yasss. (59) No, they really can't, lol. (61) I would've too but I figured I shouldn't encourage too much violence. (62) I'm glad you thought so. (72) Thanks! (76) I think Jay's apology would've come later. The main focus of this was the way Jay reacts to being physically hurt by those he loves most. (78) Definitely do. (79) Protective Jay is definitely one of my favourites too. (77) I love Dizzy too!**

 **Eli201: I can't wait for D3 either!**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	105. Shopping Fun (Bal)

As the morning meandered into the afternoon, the weather became warmer and the pupils of Auradon Prep were either outside enjoying it or inside hiding from it. One of the students who was hiding was a purple haired fae, who was lying on top of her bed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. As she lay in the air-conditioned room, there was a knock on the door. Groaning, Mal sat up and looked at the door as though it was disrupting her despite the fact that she wasn't actually doing anything.

"Come in," she called, crossing her legs. The door opened to reveal a young man, who smiled at her as he walked in.

"Hey," he said, "Evie said you were hiding in here."

"It's too hot," Mal moaned, lying back again and uncrossing her legs.

Ben laughed and went to sit at her feet, his eyes bright as he looked at her. "It's really not that bad."

"For you, maybe," Mal said, "I spent the first sixteen years of my life where it was always cloudy. Perfect leather jacket weather."

"Well," Ben said, "Whatever the weather, we have an off-campus day tomorrow. Would you like to come to the mall with me?"

Mal sat up and looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging, "Yeah, sure."

"Good to know you're so enthusiastic about this," Ben commented in a joking tone.

Mal pushed his shoulder, although it was too light to actually move him. Then, she leaned forward and kissed him. "Better?" she asked, as she leant back again.

Ben just grinned at her before pulling her close to himself and kissing her again, a little longer this time. Mal rolled her eyes at him light-heartedly but did not hesitate to kiss him back.

"Oh!" said a sudden voice from the door, causing Mal and Ben to pull apart. "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt."

Mal laughed, "It's fine, Evie. Ben was just leaving."

"Wow, you're kicking me out?" Ben said, raising an eyebrow, "What did I do this time?"

"Well, you have class in ten minutes," Mal replied, nodding to the clock on the wall behind him.

Ben looked over his shoulder at the clock then patted his pockets for his phone. He cursed when he realised he'd left it in his room. "No wonder I didn't know the time." He gave Mal a chaste kiss before getting up and rushing out the room to head to his locker.

"He still has ten minutes, why is he rushing?" Evie questioned.

"Because he needs to get to the class early so that he has time to ask for the homework that will be set as he has to leave class early for his next meeting."

"Poor guy."

"I know. His life is ruled by the clock. He's always doing something."

Evie smiled sadly and sat on the bed next to her. "Do you miss him?"

Mal shrugged, "Sometimes, yeah. I mean, I do see him in the meetings that I'm involved in and occasionally at meal times. And, of course, he does his best to make time for me. He's taking me to the mall tomorrow."

"Wait, you didn't tell me this. Can I help you get ready?" Evie asked eagerly.

"We planned it just now and what am I, your doll?" Mal replied.

Evie grinned wickedly, "You're a very good doll," she teased.

Mal rolled her eyes, "No, I can get myself ready. Besides, don't you have a date with Doug anyway? So maybe focus on getting yourself ready."

Evie sighed dramatically before smiling, "Fine, fine. You win. Also, do you remember the homework that Professor Merryweather set?"

The rest of the day crept on by and soon night had fallen. Feeling to warm to sleep, Mal was sat by the window, on the cushioned window seat. The curtains fell around her, allowing her to look outside and blocking out the room behind her. A sketchbook sat on her lap and her phone was next to her as she stared out into the grounds of Auradon Prep. Mal twirled the pencil in her hands, lost deep in thought. A sudden evil laugh brought her out of her reverie. Mal glanced down at her phone to see a text from her boyfriend. Smiling, although a little confused, Mal opened it.

 _Finally finished all the work I was behind on. Are you still awake?_

Mal tilted her head in concern before texting him back.

 **Yeah, but you should sleep. You've had a long day.**

The next text came quickly.

 _I feel like I haven't been able to talk to you for ages though._

Mal couldn't help but smile a little. It was true that they didn't get to talk as much as either of them would like but that was just the way it was. They were busy people, Ben especially.

 **We're going out tomorrow. We can talk then. Seriously, I'd rather not have you fall asleep in the middle of a sentence.**

 _That was one time!_

Mal giggled before typing her response.

 **Sleep. I'll text you in the morning.**

 _Not if I text you first ;)_

Mal smiled and put the phone down, going back to the window. Eventually, her pencil hit her paper and she began sketching. Once the sketch was complete, Mal smiled and closed the book before leaning back and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Mal woke up with the sun bursting through her eyelids and her neck stiff. Twirling her neck in an attempt to get rid of the stiffness, Mal opened the curtain to see Evie mid-make-up. Evie smiled at Mal through the reflection on her mirror as the purple-haired girl got off of the window seat.

"Morning!" Evie chirped, before returning to her eye make-up. Mal grunted a reply and went over to her wardrobe, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she did so. Mal then selected a purple denim skirt that stopped just below her knees and a forest green blouse. She slipped them on and then grabbed her favourite combat boots, lacing them up tightly. Just as she was finished, there was a knock on the door. Evie squeaked and rushed into their bathroom. Once Mal was sure Evie felt safely hidden, she opened the door.

"Oh, Ben, hey. You're early."

"Well, we never set a time and I figured I could take you breakfast first before we go to the mall?"

Mal nodded, "Yeah, sure. Hold on just a second, though. I'm not quite ready yet." She quickly found her phone and slipped it into her pocket. She also quickly gathered up the sketchbook and pencil that were lying on the floor, having slipped out of her hands during the night, and put them away. Then she knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, E, I'm going out with Ben now, so the coast should be clear."

There was a slightly muffled "Thank you" from the other side of the door and so Mal turned to Ben and the two of them left the room, Mal making sure to close the door behind her loud enough that Evie would hear it.

"Am I that repulsive?" Ben joked as they walked down the corridor, their hands entwined.

"Oh, obviously," Mal replied, "You're hideous." Ben laughed before Mal continued. "Evie doesn't like people seeing her without make-up. It's a confidence thing."

Ben nodded in understanding, "Okay, that makes sense. So, shall we go to our usual café for breakfast?"

"As long as you're buying me coffee, I don't care where we're going," Mal replied.

Ben laughed again and the two of them headed out of the grounds and towards the centre of town. A cup of coffee and a croissant each later, Mal and Ben found themselves heading towards the mall. It was a grand building, very modern, with so many windows it seemed to be made of glass. Its doors had just opened so there were only a few people wandering around inside, looking at the range of shops and merchandise that there was to offer. Just as Ben suggested that they have a look around the book shop, Mal spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

"You go ahead. I'll meet you in there," she said, glancing at him with a smile.

Ben cocked his head curiously, "Where are you going to go?"

Mal just smiled, "I'll meet you in there," she repeated. Ben still looked confused but nodded and headed to the bookstore, whilst Mal went over to the jewellers across the way.

The bell tingled as she entered the shop, causing the clerk to look up.

"Your Ladyship!" he exclaimed, "What an honour to have you in my shop." He bowed before Mal could stop him.

Mal inclined her head politely before looking back at the shop window, "You put a sign out there saying that you do engravings," she said, "So, I'd like to buy a watch and engrave His Majesty's name on the back."

"Of course!" The clerk exclaimed, "We have some of the finest watches in Auradon if I do say so myself." He showed her the cabinet with the watches. Some of the more expensive ones were way out of Mal's price range but she did manage to find one that she could afford and thought Ben would like. It had a brown leather strap and a silver case around the face that was about 38mm in diameter. The face was white and the black numbers were Roman numerals. The hands that were standing still were silver as well.

"Can I see that one?" she asked, pointing it out. The clerk happily took it out and showed it to her. Mal turned it around in her hand a few times before nodding, "Yeah, I like this one. Would there be any chance that you could engrave his name in my handwriting?"

"I do believe so. I'll get you a piece of paper and then you can write what you want on it. How big would you want this engraving?"

"So it fits nicely in the middle of the watch," Mal said, using her pointer finger and thumb to show the size on the back of the case of the watch.

The clerk nodded as he noted down the size, "Of course. It will take a couple hours to complete." He handed her a piece of paper, "Please, write it down and we'll scan it into our computer so that our machine will be able to engrave it."

Mal smiled and nodded. She then took the pen and paper offered to her and wrote down BEN on the paper in her neatest handwriting. "I'll come back in a couple hours," Mal said, as she paid the man.

The clerk bowed again and Mal offered him a kind smile and a respectful inclination of the head before leaving and heading to the book shop, where she knew Ben would be happily browsing. Just as she thought, Ben was looking through book titles and reading blurbs as she approached him.

"Hey," he said, with a grin, once he saw her.

"Hey," she replied, slipping her hand into his. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young girl suddenly turn away from then. Mal felt a little spark of jealousy as she knew this girl had been staring at Ben but she quickly squashed it, focusing instead on how Ben's eyes lighted up as he read the blurb on the back of the book he was holding. Then, he slipped it back onto the shelf and turned back to Mal.

"Come on, I want to take you clothes shopping."

Mal looked at him oddly, "Wait, why? Evie usually makes my clothes."

Ben shrugged, "Yeah, I know, but I just thought it might be fun to try on some clothes that aren't Evie's 4 Hearts. Besides, I really want to buy you something."

"Okay," Mal said, as Ben dragged her to the nearest clothes shop, "If you insist."

The two of them walked in, receiving a few bows from the people who noticed them. They both smiled back before Ben dragged her over to the women's clothes section. After telling Ben her size, the two of them began looking around for clothes for Mal to try on. Ben managed to select a few outfits that they both thought might be nice and so did Mal. They then went to the changing room and Ben waited on one of the pouffes outside whilst she tried on the outfits. The first outfit was an emerald green knot shirt with purple jeans that were so dark, they may as well have been black. She stepped out of the changing rooms, posing and twirling for Ben, whilst he watched her with love filled eyes and showered her with compliments. Mal found herself still blushing when she re-entered the changing room to try something else on. The second outfit was a magenta one-shoulder dress that came down to mid-thigh. It had swirling ivory patterns on the bodice and the skirt hung loose on her legs. Ben looked very impressed when she walked out in it, unashamedly checking her out. Mal twirled to show him the whole thing before winking at him and going back into the changing room again.

Just as she was about to unzip the dress, she realised that she had seen a group of girls hovering near Ben when she twirled. She suddenly heard the click-clack of many heels on the shop floor and the girlish giggles that made Mal feel sick to the stomach. As she tried to get into a different dress, she heard some of the girls start talking to Ben in squeaky voices, asking him questions and giggling obnoxiously whenever he said something. Mal peaked her head out and saw that Ben was shuffling from foot to foot, trying to politely remove his arm from one of the girls who had laid her hand on it, fluttering her eyelashes that were so big she could've flown with them. Mal huffed angrily and turned back to the clothes in front of her, locating the dress she was thinking of.

"Oh, Ben, you're so funny!" One of the girls squealed, making Mal want to hurl and punch her at the same time. Instead, she just tugged the zipper of the dress she was wearing down and stepped out of it. She heard the strain in Ben's voice as he awkwardly laughed. As she went to hang up the dress she'd just taken off, she realised her hands were shaking. The whole idea of Ben being out there, surrounded by girls who were fawning over him just made her tremble with fury. She tried to still her hands as she pulled the next dress off of its hanger and slipped it on. She glanced in the mirror, confirming that she looked as good as she felt. When she did so, she noticed her eyes were beginning to glow but it didn't bother her. She just wanted to show the girls exactly who they were dealing with.

Ben looked up as the changing room curtain was pulled back and Mal stepped out, her eyes glowing a dangerous green. But then Ben saw what she was wearing and he nearly forgot how to breathe. It was a black mini dress, that hugged her in all the right places and made her legs go on for days. Ben couldn't keep his eyes off of her and he knew that he was mentally drooling (hopefully not physically. That would be embarrassing.) Mal's eyes landed on the girls that were surrounding him, all of whom had taken a step in fear.

"Wow," he finally managed to get out. Mal looked at him and her face softened a bit. Then, she turned to the girls again and her eyes glowed even brighter.

"Do you mind?" she said, her voice scarily calm, "That's _my_ boyfriend you're swarming there and it is _very_ obvious that he is not comfortable. So why don't you leave him alone and go find someone else to suffocate."

The girls all looked at each other before scrambling away as quickly as they could. Mal took a few deep breaths and let out a big sigh, her eyes turning back to their normal pale green. Ben approached her, a slight smirk on his face. Mal raised an eyebrow at him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Who knew jealousy could look so attractive on you?" he half-whispered, making Mal blush slightly as she gave him a flirty look. Ben leaned down and kissed her gently before pulling away, "By the way, I am buying you that dress and we are going out tonight."

Mal smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm okay with that." Ben then leaned down and kissed her more firmly than earlier. Mal eventually pulled away from him, "But first I gotta get changed."

Ben reluctantly let her go and she went back into the changing room, pulling her skirt and blouse back on and bringing out all the outfits she'd tried on as well as one or two that she didn't get round to. They put back the clothes they weren't going to buy and Ben paid for the dress. Then Mal linked her arm with his, carrying the bag on her other arm. Checking the time, they realised that they had spent a long while in there, between the searching for the outfits, trying them on and chasing away of the girls. They decided to wander around for a while, poking into other shops along the way and window-shopping together. When they went into the shoe shop, though, Ben insisted on getting her a pair of heels to go with the dress they'd bought. Mal relented when he pulled out the puppy dog eyes, knowing that he really just wanted to spoil her, as he often did. The shoes were black, 3-inch heels with a closed toe and a strap around her ankle. Ben smiled at her as she strutted around, showing off the shoes.

With the shoes now bought and safely in the bag with the dress, Ben and Mal walked towards the food court, hand-in-hand. Mal quickly glanced at the time as they arrived. "Hey, Ben, there's something I gotta do. Why don't you get us some food and I'll meet you here?"

Ben narrowed his eyes, "That's the second time you've left me today. Should I be worried?"

"Nah, I'm just going to go see my other boyfriend," she joked.

"Ah, of course," Ben replied, "Say hi to him for me." She winked at him and went off towards the jewellers.

"Your Ladyship, right on time!" The clerk said when he saw her. "I have the watch right here and ready." Mal was handed a sleek black box with the name of the store written across it in gold. Mal opened it and checked the back of the watch, smiling when her boyfriend's name blinked up at her in her handwriting.

"It's perfect," she said. "Thank you."

The clerk bowed and she gave a small curtsy before leaving and heading back to Ben. Ben had already gotten them food when she got back to him and the two of them decided to go find a secluded spot to eat, away from the staring crowds. Once they were finally somewhat alone, hidden behind a bush outside, Mal pulled the box from her pocket.

"Here, I got you something."

Ben smiled at her, "Oh, thank you." He took it from her and gently opened it. Mal gently chewed on the inside of her cheek as she awaited his reaction.

As he looked at it, she decided to speak up, "I know how time rules your life at the moment, so I figured this might help make it feel a little less hectic."

"It's great," he said, grinning at her, "I love it."

"Look at the back," Mal told him. Ben pulled out the watch and turned it over in his hand. His grin brightened when he saw what was on the back.

"I'd recognise that handwriting anywhere," he told her, looking back at Mal. He then strapped the watch to his wrist, showing it to her. Mal grinned at his excitement and leant her head on his shoulder but Ben had other ideas and lifted her head gently so that he could kiss her. They slowly pulled apart again and sat with their foreheads touching, just basking in the contentedness that they felt at that very moment.

 **I hope you enjoyed it, Maniey, 'cause I know I did.**

 **Request Count Down: 7**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **kbear100: Sorry, the requests still aren't open. Request again once they are.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I enjoyed writing that part so much. And thanks for pointing out the mistake :)**

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 **Guest: (20) I'm so happy you liked it! I hope I get to write more about Dizzy and the Core Four too, because they're so cute together! (78) I'm glad! (79) Jonnie Family Fluff is definitely good family fluff.**

 **Uito03: No and I don't intend to because, as I said in chapter 1, I do not write smut.**

 **Mandiilove: Aww, I'm glad you like them! I find them really tiring, but it's worth it to know that my readers enjoy them. And I'm flattered! That is so sweet.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	106. Romantic Runaway (Bal)

It was dark out and the stars were shining brightly. Almost the whole prep school of Auradon was asleep. Almost. One of the teens had sneaked out of the dorm room he had to himself and was slowly making his way down towards the girls' dormitories. He crept as carefully as he could, not wanting to wake anyone up. Finally, he got to the door he was looking for and opened it as quietly as possible. In one of the beds, a blue-haired girl lay on her back, a sleep mask over her eyes. In the other bed, a purple-haired half-faerie was curled up under the covers, her face peaceful as she slept on. The boy made his way to the purple-haired girl's bed and gently shook her.

"Mal," he whispered. Mal stirred and opened a bleary eye.

"Ben?" She raised her head, "What time is it?"

"Like two in the morning," he admitted.

Slowly, Mal sat up so that she could better look at Ben's face. "Why are you waking me at this ridiculous hour?" she demanded quietly.

"I missed you," he informed her, "We haven't seen each other in nearly a week and I just couldn't wait till the morning."

Mal chuckled lightly, "Boy, would you be bad at long-distance."

Ben smiled and held out a hand to her. When she took it, he tugged on hers gently, prompting her to follow him. Quickly she grabbed the first shoes she could find and held them in one hand whilst Ben dragged her out of her room by the other. They shut the door as gently as they could behind them. The moment they were in the hall, Ben grabbed Mal's waist and pulled her in for a long kiss. Mal nearly dropped her shoes but caught them last minute and placed her arms on his shoulders. One of Ben's hands moved up her back until it was tangled in her hair. Finally, they pulled apart, both panting lightly.

"Well, I guess you did kinda miss me, huh?" Mal said, winking.

Ben's face split into a grin. His stared at her for a long while, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. Mal gave him a sweet smile before sitting down to put on her shoes, which happened to be the combat boots she had worn the previous day.

"So, where are you planning on taking me then?" she asked, once her shoes were on.

"I don't mind, I just want to be with you." Mal smiled and grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers together. The two then began to walk, quietly, with no particular place in mind. They knew that they'd need to get away from the dorms before they could talk or anything, but that was okay. The silence was comfortable and pleasant. They were together and that was all that mattered.

Eventually, they found themselves in a student lounge. Ben immediately claimed their favourite seat and pulled Mal into his lap. Mal allowed him to do so and curled up against him, her head on his shoulder, her hands playing with the fingers he'd splayed across her lap. Ben's other hand went up and down her back slowly.

"We're going to get into so much trouble if people find us here after curfew," Mal said, raising her eyes to look at Ben.

Ben's content smile turned into a bit of a sly smirk. "Then we don't let them find us."

Mal lifted her head off of his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that we hide away from everyone?"

Ben gave a tiny shrug, "It's a Saturday tomorrow and I rescheduled my council meeting so I basically have a day off."

"Are you sure you can? You've been so busy lately," Mal reminded him.

"Exactly. It's just one day. The kingdom isn't going to unravel itself if I choose to spend a day with you instead of cooped up in my office."

Mal smiled, "So why the hiding? We could just go back to our dorms now and we definitely won't get caught. Then we can spend tomorrow together from curfew onwards."

"Because Fairy G wants me to help her with an event that she's setting up and the moment she finds me, I'll get pulled away from you."

"Well, we can't allow that to happen," Mal said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"No, we can't," he agreed.

When he kissed her again, Mal realised, for what felt like the millionth time since they got together, just how safe she felt in his arms. When they were together, she felt unstoppable, like it was her and him against the world. Never would she have thought that she would feel so content and secure in the arms of a man but being with Ben had changed that, had changed her. Now every kiss they shared, every declaration of love they spoke, every smile they exchanged made Mal's heart glow and she knew that by being with him, she'd be okay. She was happier than she ever realised she could be and she tried to show that to Ben as they kissed, pouring all her love, gratefulness and joy into that kiss. Ben pulled her impossibly closer and Mal wrapped her legs around his waist.

After what could have been only seconds or minutes or even hours, they pulled away from each other and Mal lay her head on his shoulder, holding him as tightly as she could. Her eyes closed and she sighed contentedly. Ben leaned his cheek against her hair and his hand subconsciously stroked her back. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied, smiling. She removed her legs from around his waist and shifted a bit so that she was lying across his lap, half-propped up on his chest. The two of them sat in silence for a bit, basking in their happiness. Suddenly, they heard footsteps and Ben shot up, dragging Mal with him as he hid them behind the sofa. Mal was having a difficult time smothering her giggles when the patrolling teacher opened the door to glance inside. Ben slapped a hand to her mouth, bringing a finger up to his lips, although he, too, was trying to hide a grin. They waited till the teacher's heavy footsteps were out of earshot before they let themselves laugh. They both started giggling, quietly though in case the teacher was closer than they thought. They felt like little children as they tried to smother their laughs, knowing they only narrowly avoided trouble.

"That was a close one," Mal said, once their laughter died down.

"I know," Ben replied. He glanced around the edge of the sofa before helping Mal up with both hands. After she was stood up, Mal entwined her fingers with his so they stood face-to-face, both hands laced together, smiling at each other.

"So what do you want to do now?" Mal asked.

Ben glanced at his watch, "Well, it's now quarter to three so...we could take a trip to the Enchanted Lake? Watch the sunrise?"

Mal smiled and nodded, "I think I'd like that."

Ben grinned, removed one of his hands from her grip and used the other to pull her closer to his side. They sneaked out of the student lounge and ran as quietly as they could to the entrance. Mal opened the door and the two of them headed to the garage. They rolled Ben's scooter out of the grounds before getting on it and driving off. Mal wrapped her arms around his waist and leant her head on his back. The feeling of the wind rushing past her was exhilarating, adding to the adrenaline that was already pumping through her veins due to the knowledge that she was out after hours with a guy. She felt like a reckless teenager, in the normal way, rather than reckless in the Isle way. And it felt like she was free. Soon enough, they'd pulled up to where he always parked the scooter and they were making their way across the rope bridge. It was harder to see in the dark but Mal led the way, as she knew her eyes were probably more used to having to see in the dark than his.

Ben smiled at the back of Mal's head as she guided him across the rope bridge. He felt so lucky to have this amazing woman by his side and he still wasn't quite sure what he did to deserve her. Her grip on his hand was firm, making him feel like he could follow her anywhere and she wouldn't ever let him go. Once they were finally off the bridge, she slowly made her way through the forest and lead him down the steps. Finally, they were at the lake, in the same spot they had been on their first date. Ben suddenly noticed Mal shiver before realising she was still in her pyjamas, as he hadn't given her any time to get dressed. Admittedly, he had not thought they'd end up outside and he had just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Still, he felt guilty about it and was very quick to shed his hoodie, apologising as he helped her into it. Mal waved off his apology and the two of them sat down. She cuddled herself into his side as she stared out at the water that seemed to shimmer in the silvery light of the moon.

Ben' s hand found its way to her hair and he began subconsciously playing with it. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Mal looked up at him with a smile, "You owe me at least a dollar by now," she joked. Then she looked back at the water, "I was just thinking about our first date."

Ben smiled, "Yeah, I don't think I've ever been able to top that one," he admitted.

Mal laughed, "I don't think you've ever been so hopelessly in love with me as you were."

"I don't think I'm that far off," Ben said, grinning at her as she blushed.

"I was actually thinking about the fact that you swam out of my eyesight once you jumped in," Mal said.

"Ah," Ben said, before letting out a sigh, "I'll be honest with you, I was mad. You got me to go out with you under false pretences and made me completely humiliate myself in front of the school and I honestly thought that it was just because you had a crush on me. I couldn't understand why you'd even do that."

Mal looked down, "I know. I do regret it sometimes. I often wonder how different it would've been if I hadn't come for the wand and if I hadn't spelled you. Would we still be together?"

"I wish I could say yes, but I don't know. I would've wanted to be with you but..." He trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"But I probably wouldn't have said yes, I know. But I'm still sorry though. I shouldn't have done it the way I did."

Ben shook his head, "I don't care anymore, you know. Even though you did that to me, the moment you dove into those waters despite not being able to swim, I knew that I loved you with or without the love spell. And, if it helps, I would happily humiliate myself in front of the school again if it meant I could keep you by my side."

"Dork," Mal replied affectionately. She reached up and brushed his fringe with her thumb.

Ben grinned at her. "Your dork," he retorted.

"My dork," she confirmed. She then sighed as she looked out onto the waters. "We're going to be in so much trouble if they find out that we're missing."

Ben smiled, "I thought we already agreed that we weren't going to let them find out?"

"That was before we left campus grounds," Mal reminded him, "And yeah, I know. But still. They'll find us eventually. Fairy Godmother needs your help and by the time she's done with you, somebody will have whisked me away to do something."

"So we hide. All day if we have to," Ben said, "I promise that I'm not going to let someone pull me away from you today. I don't see you enough as it is."

Mal grinned at him and pecked his cheek. Then she gasped as she looked out to the lake. "I didn't know it could look so pretty," she murmured, mostly to herself. Ben glanced over where she was looking and saw the sun was beginning to rise. The orange light danced across the lake, making it glow like precious jewels. He smiled and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head as they watched the sunrise, filling the world around them with light.

Soon, it was time for them to go. Ben and Mal stood up and made their way back to the scooter so that they could travel back to the school. The way back was quiet, save the sound of the engine and the wind rushing past them. When they arrived at the school, they wheeled the scooter back into the garage.

"So, where shall we go now?" Ben asked, leaning on his scooter as he looked at Mal.

Mal shrugged, "We could hang out in your room," she suggested.

Ben shook his head, "That's the first place Fairy G is going to look for me," he said. "How about yours?"

Mal shook her head, "No, Evie won't want us in there till she's finished her make-up. I mean, we could go to your room and hide when we hear Fairy Godmother coming."

"Sounds risky," Ben replied.

"Well, what would be the point without a little risk?" Mal asked, a small smirk playing on her face.

Ben raised an eyebrow, "So you want to live on the edge today, huh?"

Mal shrugged, "What can I say? It's the VK in me."

Ben gave a laugh before taking Mal's hand again and quickly leading her out of the garage and through the still quiet halls of Auradon Prep. Once they got to his room, Mal threw her shoes off and clambered under the covers of his bed. Ben chuckled then put her shoes neatly under his bed and lay in the bed next to her, holding his head up with his hand as he looked down at her, a smile on his face. "Tired?"

"You woke me up at two in the morning," Mal replied, "What do you think?"

Ben laughed and pecked her cheek. "You can take a quick nap now, then. I'll wake you if I think I hear Fairy Godmother."

"I was going to do that with or without your permission," Mal mumbled, curling up. Ben laughed again and pulled her towards himself, an arm wrapped around her middle. Mal smiled a little then slowly drifted off to sleep, feeling protected in his warm arms.

Mal was woken by Ben shaking her. "I can hear someone coming down the corridor," he told her when her eyes opened.

Groggily, Mal got out of bed and followed him into his bathroom. As her feet hit the cold tile, her brain woke up and finally realised what they were doing. She smiled a little as Ben put a finger to his lips, waiting to see who was coming. Not two seconds after they closed the bathroom door, there was a knock on the other door.

"Ben?" It was Fairy Godmother, "Are you awake, child?" A few seconds passed before there was another knock, this one slightly louder, "Ben? I know it's a Saturday but I do need your help on this."

They then heard the door open. Mal raised her eyebrows and gestured to the shower. Ben looked confused till Mal mimed at him to turn it on. Ben wasn't too sure why Mal thought that that was a good idea but did as he was told, trusting that she had a plan. Mal then put her ear to the door so that she could hear their headmistress over the sound of the shower.

"Oh," Fairy Godmother said, "I suppose I'll come back later." And with that, the outside door closed and the clack of Fairy Godmother's heels disappeared. Once Mal told him the coast was clear, Ben turned off the shower.

"I doubt she would've come in here, you know," Ben said, turning back to Mal.

"Oh, I know but I realised when she came in that the bed was still unmade. I figured she might find that a bit odd, considering how neat you are in every other aspect of your life. The shower suggested you were here and just hadn't gotten round to making your bed yet."

Ben looked impressed, "Wow, I'm dating a genius."

Mal shrugged, "What can I say? I used to have to scheme like this on a regular basis. It's muscle memory." Then she opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the room, spotting her shoes under the bed. "Thank goodness, she didn't notice my boots though."

"Well, it looks my neatness does come in handy sometimes."

Mal playfully rolled her eyes at him before glancing at the clock by his bed. "Evie will be awake now and possibly almost finished with her make-up." She sat down and slipped her shoes on. "So, let's go back to my room. I need to get changed anyway." Ben nodded and quickly made the bed after Mal got up before following her out of the room. Since it was still quite early, no one was really around so the risk of people telling Fairy Godmother that they'd seen Ben was slim to none. Despite that, they still made their way to Evie and Mal's dorm room as quickly as they could. Mal made Ben wait outside and quickly slipped into the room.

"Mal, there you are!" Evie exclaimed, putting down one of her many make-up brushes. "I've been worried about you. You left your phone here and there was no sign as to where you had gone."

"Sorry, E," Mal replied, "Ben woke me up at two and dragged me out with him."

"Two in the morning?" Evie demanded, "It's official. We're being ruled by a mad man."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Mal replied, referring to her mother (who was a madwoman but the point remained). "Look, he's outside right now. Can he come in?"

Evie looked at the make-up stuff in front of her, "M, I'm not ready for people to see me yet."

"He'll close his eyes and we'll even go sit in the bathroom till you're done. Please? Today is the first time we've seen each other in nearly a week."

Evie sighed but nodded, "Yeah, okay. But make sure he keeps his eyes closed!"

Mal agreed and quickly darted out the room to get Ben. It took a few seconds to convince Ben to shut his eyes but once he did so, Mal dragged him into the adjoining bathroom.

"So, why are we hiding in a bathroom again?" Ben asked, once his eyes were open.

"Because Evie doesn't like people seeing her until her make-up is complete. So you stay here and I'm going to get some clothes." Mal left the room again and grabbed a pair of green, skinny jeans and a light purple shirt to wear. Once she was changed, she looked over at Evie who had just finished putting the finishing touches to her make-up.

"Can he come out now?" she asked, perching herself on the edge of Evie's vanity drawers.

Evie nodded, "Yeah, yeah. But get down."

Mal obeyed and went over to the bathroom door. "You can come out now, Ben."

Ben looked thankful as he came out of the bathroom. "So, how many bathrooms will I have hidden in by the end of today?"

Mal laughed, "As many as it takes. But by the looks of it, we're safe here for now." She sat down by the desk.

"Safe?" Evie asked, "What did you do?"

Mal gave an offended laugh, "Why would you presume that I've done something?" Both Ben and Evie gave her a look. "Okay, that's not fair. And don't you give me that look, Ben. You're the reason we're hiding."

Evie looked over at Ben, eyebrows raised in curiosity, "You?"

Ben shrugged, "Fairy Godmother wants my help with something," he told her, "But it can wait and I haven't seen Mal in nearly a week so I wanted to spend time with her instead."

"And you couldn't just tell Fairy Godmother this?" Evie asked.

"Because she'll probably find some way to convince me to help her anyway."

"Or because you hate letting people down," Mal added.

Ben laughed, "Yeah, that too."

Evie sighed and shook her head, "Okay. I'll go grab some breakfast and bring you two back some as well and I'll tell the others that if Fairy Godmother asks, they haven't seen you or they saw you go in the opposite direction than you actually did."

Mal smiled, "Thanks, E. You're the best."

Evie flicked her hair with a wicked grin, "I know." And with that, she left the room, leaving Mal and Ben on their own.

"So..." Ben began, coming up behind Mal and wrapping his arms around her shoulder, "What now?"

"You could sit down and enjoy my company," Mal replied, indicating to the seat next to her.

Ben grinned and sat down. Soon enough, the two of them fell into conversation. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, making both Mal and Ben jump. "Who is it?" Mal called out, indicating to Ben to stay very still and quiet.

"It's me," came the voice that belonged to Evie, "My hands are kinda full."

Both Ben and Mal breathed a sigh of relief and Mal went up to help Evie with the breakfast.

Ben and Mal sat down and ate what Evie had brought them whilst she flitted around the room with tape measures, fabric scissors and sewing needles. In the time it took for Ben and Mal to finish their breakfast, Evie had managed to cut out all the pieces she needed for the bodice of the dress she was making and was already beginning to put it together. Mal decided to take the breakfast dishes back to the cafeteria, as she and Ben figured it was the best idea, so that they didn't inconvenience Evie too much more and because Fairy G wasn't tracking Mal down. That being said, there was a knock at the door. Mal quickly shoved Ben between the beds and Evie went to open the door.

"Oh, hello, Fairy Godmother. Can I help you with something?"

"I was just hoping to see Mal, dear one," Fairy Godmother peaked inside to see Mal standing between the beds. "Oh, there you are, child!"

Mal quickly moved towards the door so that Fairy Godmother wouldn't come her way. "Hi, FG. How can I help you?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you'd seen Ben at all today? I can't seem to locate him and I would really like his help on this event that we're planning."

Mal shook her head, "No," she lied, "I haven't seen him. I only got out of bed a little while ago."

Fairy Godmother hummed, "I see. Well, if you do see him, can you ask him to come to my office?"

Mal nodded, "Of course."

"Thank you." And with that, Fairy Godmother left, heading back to her office.

Mal sighed with relief. "Okay, Ben, she's gone."

"Thank goodness," Ben said as he sat up, "Sounds like we're safe now if she's gone back to her office."

Mal shrugged, "Maybe but I have a feeling that if you haven't gone by lunchtime, she'll end up trying to track both of us down."

"Why would she be tracking you down?" Ben asked, handing Evie her fabric scissors at her request.

"Because if you haven't come by then, I must not have seen you and/or forgotten to ask you so she'll see if she can find me just to make sure I know to tell you or she may even ask me to call you to see where you are."

"Oh," Ben hesitated for a second, "So we're safe until lunchtime?"

Mal didn't look convinced, "Depends on what happens."

Evie looked up from her work and raised her eyebrows at them, "You two are talking like you're fugitives as opposed to two teenagers who just want to spend more time together."

Mal stuck her tongue out at Evie before turning back to Ben. "I'm going to take these down to the cafeteria and I bet by the time I'm back, I'll have come up with a master plan." And with that, Mal collected the breakfast dishes and headed out.

"Should I be worried?" Ben asked, looking over at Evie.

"With Mal?" Evie responded, "Always."

Ben breathed out a laugh before sitting down, staring at the door where his girlfriend just left. He had to admit, he was wondering what he'd gotten himself into with that woman, but at the very least, she'll always keep him on his toes.

When she returned, Mal's smile was stretched into a smirk. Ben knew that smirk as it often came on her face just before she did something mischievous or just after she managed to get her way.

"Oh, goodness, who are we killing?" Ben joked.

Mal scoffed and shoved him lightly, "I don't kill. Terrorise, maybe. But kill? That's too far, even the Isle me."

Ben smiled and pulled her onto his lap, "I know. I'm just teasing."

Mal rolled her eyes before kissing him and standing up again. "Well, anyway, your amazing girlfriend managed to come up with a plan. Evie has appointments today so we won't be able to hang around here, we'll be in the way. I also don't want to inconvenience anyone else by hanging out in somebody else's room so we're going to art rooms. They're on the other side of the school from FG's office so we have plenty of time without worrying about her."

"And if somebody sees us and decides to tell Fairy Godmother that they know where we are?"

"As I said, the other side of the school. We have plenty of time to slip away. Besides, who's really going to tell her? It's not like there's a bounty on our heads or anything. By the time people who see us, see her, we'll probably be long gone. Not to mention, I used to sneak around all the time. I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, maybe you can use some of the skills me and the boys put so much effort into teaching you," Evie added, "Tap into that wicked side of yours."

"Yeah, Evie told me you have a pretty wicked side," Mal said, "I mean, I'll believe it when I see it, but apparently you do."

"Uh, Mal?" Ben said. Mal hummed and looked at him as he raised up his hand. Dangling from between his fingers was a charm bracelet. Mal quickly looked at her wrist and then looked back up at him.

"Okay, I'm impressed," she took the bracelet back, "I usually notice that kind of thing."

"Lucky for me, you're used to me holding your hand so it was easier than you'd think."

Mal looked over at Evie, "Okay, however you taught him was genius. You should be a teacher."

"Oh, yeah. Auradon's parents will appreciate lessons on how to chill like a villain," Evie replied, "Anyway, my first appointment will be here soon, so shoo." She motioned for them to leave.

Ben and Mal obeyed and quickly left the room, Mal dragging Ben towards the art rooms. They were quick and little sneaky about it, trying to go down the least crowded corridors and taking short cuts through some of the classrooms that had doors on either side. Finally, they made it to the art rooms and Mal took him to the one where she always works. Ben stood by and watched as Mal happily crossed the empty room to an easel that had a covering over it.

"I've been waiting to show you this till it's complete, but since you're here, I may as well."

Ben cocked his head in interest as she threw off the sheet, revealing a stunning painting behind it. The painting showed a balcony on the right side of the painting, looking out to the waters ahead of it and there, floating where it always had, was the Isle of the Lost. Out of the barrier came a bridge and on that bridge, a crowd had formed. The colours of the crowd were many yet all dull, but the expressions of the people, despite being small, were ones of joy. They appeared to be cheering. On the other side of the painting, on the balcony, were two figures. Both wore crowns, one in a blue suit and had brown hair and the other completely covered in purple from head to toe. Ben smiled at it as he recognised who those people were supposed to be.

"It's us," Mal clarified, unnecessarily. "And I'm stood by your side as you finally complete what you've been aiming to do. You brought the kids over, saving them from themselves and letting them be the best they can ever be. Because you're going to achieve that goal and I want to be there every step of the way."

Ben smiled, before going over to her and pulling her into his side, his arm wrapped around her waist, like it was in the painting. "It's beautiful," Ben told her, "And I can't wait for it to come true."

Mal nodded, "I know. But we'll save them."

Ben let out a breathy laugh, "Well, yes, but I meant that I can't wait till you're stood by my side. As my queen."

Mal smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, "Yeah, me too. Someday."

"Someday sounds pretty good to me." Mal smiled at him then slowly leaned up to kiss him. Ben happily complied. When they parted, they stood there, looking at each other, both dreaming of a future together. Ben was the first to slowly pull out of his musings and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Mal."

"I love you too, Ben." She then pulled away from him and covered the easel back up. The two of them sat down and began talking about a hypothetical future about what they think they would do if they weren't set to be king and queen which eventually led to a conversation about their pasts and their childhoods. Mal spoke about her mother and how she never really noticed her talent in artwork and about how Ben suggesting she take art class was the first time she felt like someone recognised her talents. Ben told her all about how growing up he was always trained to be king so he had never really thought about what else he'd have liked to be had he not been a prince.

"Although," Ben admitted, "I think I once asked my dad if there was a job where I could just read books all day. He just laughed at me and called my mother's son."

Mal laughed, "Okay, that's kinda cute."

"Yeah. Reading was so great though. I used to travel to so many places from the comfort of sitting next to my mother."

Mal hummed, "You miss it?"

Ben shrugged, "I guess. Hard to fit in any reading time nowadays, you know?"

Mal nodded, understandingly. Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. Without a second thought, Mal dragged Ben up and quickly ran into one of the storage cupboards. It was a bit snug so their chests were touching. They waited as the footsteps entered the room and froze when they realised that the person in the room was heading to storage cupboard. The girl who opened the storage cupboard jumped when she saw that they were in there before setting her face straight again. "Hey, Mal. Mind passing me the paintbrushes?"

Mal nodded and handed a tub of them over. The girl then closed the door and Ben and Mal began snickering. "Well, that was awkward."

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" The girl asked from outside the door. Ben and Mal laughed again and opened the door. They got out of the storage cupboard, Ben scratching his neck awkwardly as Mal just casually struck up a simple conversation with the girl about their art projects. Eventually, Mal said goodbye to the girl and left the room, Ben hot on her heels.

The two of them began wondering the school, looking for somewhere that they can just be the two of them without running the risk of Fairy Godmother finding them. Near the choir room, they found an abandoned student lounge with many pieces of mismatched furniture. Ben and Mal curled up on a love seat they found in the corner. There they sat for what was probably a couple of hours, maybe a bit longer, just talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

As lunchtime rolled around, Ben's stomach began to growl, making Mal giggle. "I could go get us some food," she offered.

Ben shook his head and pulled her into himself, "Nope. That means you have to leave me."

Mal rolled her eyes playfully, "So clingy!" she joked. Just then, her phone chimed.

 _Girl, where are you? Fairy G is getting worried because she hasn't seen Ben all morning and she can't find you._

It was from Carlos.

 **We're hiding out. Can you tell her that you saw us somewhere? Just not anywhere near the choir room.**

There were a few seconds before Carlos replied.

 _I told her that I overheard Ben offering to give you swimming lessons, so she's headed to the pool. Evie texted me that you two are wanting to hide all day. If you want, I can grab you two lunch and you can hide in our room for a bit. Jay and I are going to hang out with the team anyway._

Mal smiled and replied:

 **Lunch would be great, thanks. Don't worry about us being in your room, though. We'll probably just go eat elsewhere.**

 _Tell Ben that the tourney team miss him._

 **Will do.**

Mal looked up at Ben, "Carlos has offered to bring us lunch and said we could hide out in his room for a bit. Also, the tourney team miss you."

Ben sighed, "Yeah, I miss them, too."

"Do you want to hang out with them, then? I don't mind. I've been hanging out with you for," she checked the time, "Over ten hours. Wow. Okay."

Ben smiled, "I don't care. I want to spend all day with you. I miss you too much."

Mal laughed, "I'm right here, Ben."

"Exactly. Don't go."

"Okay, I won't." She closed her eyes as she leaned against him before quickly opening them when Ben's stomach growled again, "But we're going to Carlos's room and getting some lunch for you. It's roaring louder than you in beast mode."

"Wow, thanks," Ben replied, laughing. Mal laughed too and they got up, heading off to Jay and Carlos's bedroom. Carlos was there when they arrived, having already grabbed them some food.

"Thanks so much, Carlos," Mal said as they walked in.

Carlos shrugged, "It's fine. I get it. I'd probably be the same if I was separated from Jane for nearly a week." He then left, smiling at them as they did so.

Ben and Mal grabbed the food and left again, both feeling weird about being in the boys' room without either of them being in there, so they headed out, sneaking around but eating as they went. They threw their trash in one of the student lounge bins but ducked out of there quickly when they saw Fairy Godmother outside the window. Had she turned just two seconds earlier, she may have seen them. Ben took Mal's hand and they began walking as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves. They slipped into the library and went to hide behind some bookshelves.

"You think the library is a good hiding place?" A voice said next to them. Ben and Mal jumped to see Jane there, squatting by the bottom row of the shelf, placing books away. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." She stood up, "I've been working in here all day and Mom has yet to walk in here to try and find you. She texted me that she couldn't find you and was getting really worried."

"Oh, please don't tell Fairy Godmother that we're here," Mal pleaded.

Jane laughed, "Don't worry. Evie texted me earlier, asking me to throw my mother off the scent if necessary. I'll tell her you went to the art rooms or something."

Ben nodded his thanks and then dragged Mal to a reading nook. They sat together, Ben finding a book to read and Mal choosing to read over his shoulder.

They suddenly heard voices, one of which was Jane. "No, I don't think they're here, Mom. I think I saw them heading to the art rooms earlier. I know that Mal was working on some kind of project for Ben so she probably went to show him that."

"Oh, I see. But you've seen them?"

"Yeah, like an hour ago or so. Don't worry, Mom. They're fine."

"I was only making sure that they were in the school as they haven't signed out and I was worried that they'd sneaked off somewhere or worse, we had a repeat of the days before Cotillion."

"They're still in school, Mom. Why are you so worried about those two, anyway? They aren't your only students."

Fairy G huffed, "I know, child, but I was expecting to see Ben this morning but he never turned up and I couldn't find Mal either to ask her if she knew where he was, so I just got a bit worried, that's all."

"I see. Well, they're probably in the art rooms still."

"Okay. Thank you, dear one." And with that, Fairy Godmother's footsteps walked away.

Jane suddenly appeared in front of them, "Okay, my mom nearly saw through me. I'm not a great liar."

"Thanks, though," Mal said. Jane nodded and smiled at them before going back to putting things away.

Mal looked up at Ben, "You know, I'm kinda tired of all the hiding. Do you just want to go back to your room and watch a few movies together?"

Ben looked at her and nodded, "Yeah. FG will probably not want my help any more, so if she finds us, she'll probably leave us be."

Mal nodded in agreement. Ben got up and took Mal's hand. The two of them then left the library, strolling back to Ben's room in comfortable silence. Mal immediately kicked off her shoes and lay on the bed whilst they decided on a movie, which Ben slipped into the DVD player and the two of them lay curled up together on Ben's bed, watching the movie play.

When Fairy Godmother found them, a few hours later, they were fast asleep, Ben's arm wrapped around Mal's waist. The TV was still on and playing the menu screen of a movie they'd been watching. Fairy Godmother sighed with relief and shook her head, closing the door behind her gently, letting the two sleep. She, of course, knew that they'd been running from her all day and it made her laugh. The two were inseparable sometimes and the lengths that they'd go to just to spend a few hours together always made her smile.

And on the other side of the door, Ben and Mal just slept on, peacefully and together.

 **Here you go, EvelynGrimhilde6. I hope you like it. Sorry if it seemed too rushed at the end, I was running out of things to write.**

 **Request Count Down: 6**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: I don't think she is much of a shopping girl, but even so, it's just one of those things that you do with people you enjoy spending time with.**

 **Booksugar: Well, you can review it as many times as you like ;) But thank you. It means so much to me when a reader enjoys my writing. Makes me feel so good, every time.**

 **kbear100: They'll be open when the count down gets to 0. But don't worry. I admire your enthusiasm.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: That was one of my favourite parts too. Yeah, your review is a little all over the place so it's difficult to reply to XD So, I'm just going to say, I love you and thank you for reviewing every chapter. It always makes me smile when I see you review.**

 **Guest: (39) I'm really glad you liked it! I find them quite cute, too.**

 **Palpal23: Actually, Janelos is, but Jonnie appears to be a favourite of my readers so I write a lot about them. I don't mind though. They're great.**

 **pattywayne: Probably up until I've written the first oneshot requested. I used to set a limit but it feel kinda pointless now as it always goes over.**

 **Guest: Idk. I think I do, but at the same time, I'd be really disappointed because it was so obvious from the moment we saw that first short film and I get annoyed at movies that release things that could potentially be good plot twists.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	107. No Longer Hiding (Bal)

The final bell of the day rang throughout Auradon Prep and a few seconds later, classroom doors flung open and students flooded out of them, clutching books and bags as they headed to their lockers. One purple-haired pixie girl arrived at her locker quickly and began sorting which books she needed to take to her dorm for homework and which ones she could leave in her locker. She glanced up at the blue door, smiling at the pictures of that were hung up in there, particularly at the one that had her boyfriend in it. Suddenly, as though summoned by her mere thoughts, her boyfriend appeared.

"Hey," he said, causing her to jump a little.

"Hey Ben," she responded closing the door to her locker and leaning her shoulder against it.

"Good day?" Ben asked, grinning down at her.

Mal nodded, "Mhmm."

"Good. Because if you didn't, I would've been about to make it worse." He paused for a second, "Or better, depending on how you look at it."

Mal gave him a look of despair, "Oh, no, what did you do?"

Ben rubbed the back of his neck, "I may have agreed for us to go to an early morning council meeting tomorrow."

Mal sighed, "Do I have to?" she whined, not caring that she sounded like a child.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ben said, "But, on the bright side, you get to come back to Castle Beast and stay with me because it wouldn't be fair to ask you to get up early enough so that you could get to the castle from here on time."

Mal huffed, "This isn't fair, period," she pouted. Then she sighed, "But I do like the idea of spending the evening with you and your folks. Mainly your folks."

"Oh, I see how it is," Ben laughed, poking her sides gently.

Mal giggled and pushed his hands away, "I need to go pack some clothes, then. See you in a bit."

"I'll wait by the scooters," he called after her as she began to walk away. Mal sent him a thumbs up to show she understood and headed to her room to get some stuff together.

Evie glanced up from her homework as Mal walked in and immediately grabbed her backpack. "Hey, M. What're you doing?"

"Ben agreed to an early morning meeting so I'm staying at Castle Beast tonight," Mal explained, "This dress is acceptable for a meeting, right?" Mal asked, pulling out a knee-length lavender A-line with short sleeves and a semi-sweetheart neckline.

Evie nodded, "Yeah, it's fine. When was this planned?"

Mal shrugged as she packed it in her bag, "I don't know, he just sprung it on me."

"So you don't even know what it's about?"

Mal shook her head and headed into the bathroom to grab her washbag, "Ben's good at filling me in though, so I'll be fine."

"Okay," Evie replied, "See you tomorrow."

"Yep, see ya tomorrow," Mal replied, swinging her overnight bag over her back after making sure she had everything she'd need. With that, she left the room, heading straight to the garage.

Ben was leaning against his scooter, fiddling with the strap of his watch as he waited. Mal called out a greeting, making him look at her. He smiled and pushed himself upright.

"You ready to go?" he asked, as he grabbed their helmets. Mal nodded and caught the purple helmet that he chucked to her. Once she'd strapped it on, she hopped on her scooter, firing it up and following Ben out of campus. They rode side by side when they could and when they couldn't, Mal rode behind Ben.

Soon enough, they were at Castle Beast, the turrets towering over them, casting a shadow over the grounds. Once they'd parked and taken off their helmets, Ben linked his hand with Mal's and the two of them headed inside. They were greeted by both Lumiere and Cogsworth on their way in. The two teens quickly made their way through the castle and towards the room that had been designated as Mal's ever since Ben's parents had become her legal guardians. After dumping her bag on the bed, Ben and Mal discussed what they could do before settling on watching a movie and eating ice cream in Ben's room, which was just next door. Mal chose a movie whilst Ben fetched the ice cream.

Once they had both, they lay down on Ben's bed, their backs propped up on the pillows that were leant against the headboard. At some point during the movie, Mal had shifted closer to Ben and their legs had ended up tangled together. Mal's empty bowl lay forgotten on the bedside table and her arms were wrapped around Ben's chest instead, her head on his shoulder. Ben's smile had grown as he kept slowly eating his ice cream. Unfortunately, he missed his mouth at one point and the ice cream had fallen off his spoon and onto his shirt. Ben chuckled when he noticed. He scraped off as much as he could before pulling off his shirt and standing up to stick it in his laundry basket. He glanced over at Mal and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner when he saw her checking out his bare chest. Her eyes returned to his with a slight smirk playing on her lips. When Ben was by the bed, she reached up and pulled him down so that she could peck him on the mouth. Ben's eyes closed as their lips came together and opened again when she pulled away. His eyes searched her face for a few seconds and he kissed her again. One kiss turned into many and Ben found himself kneeling on the bed, his hands trailing up her neck and into her hair as hers mapped out his chest. Mal felt like she was walking on air, feeling like every kiss was a declaration of trust and acceptance between the two of them, every kiss reminding them just how much they love each other. Everything else left her head and it felt like she and Ben were the only two people in the world. She clung to him like a lifeline and kissed him like he was her oxygen, keeping her alive and breathing. The movie played on in the background but it was just a faint noise in the back of their minds. Nothing else mattered, just that they were together.

Unfortunately, their little bubble was popped by the sound of someone shrieking an apology. Ben and Mal pulled apart so quickly, they practically fell away from each other. Belle, who was bright red, closed the door, still apologising as she did and Mal spotted a wide-eyed Adam stood behind her.

Once the door was shut again, Ben began cracking up, his whole body shaking as laugh after laugh tore from his throat, his face now going red from that as opposed the initial embarrassment. Mal, on the other hand, was still red with embarrassment and hid her face groaning.

"It's not funny!" Mal yelled at Ben as she tore her hands away from her face, "I'm never going to be able to face your parents again."

Ben bit his lip in an attempt to stop laughing, "I'm sorry, but it kinda is. Mom and Dad's faces were hilarious."

Mal lightly kicked his leg in annoyance, although there was a hint of a grin on her face. Ben finally managed to get control of himself and stopped laughing.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Although you're going to have to face them. We're having dinner together, remember?" Mal groaned and hid her face again, causing Ben to chuckle. This earned him another light kick. "Come here," he said, grabbing her arms and pulling her into him. Mal allowed herself to get pulled and buried her face in his chest.

"I can't believe I have to face them now." Ben stroked her back comfortingly, trying to bite back a smile.

"Tell you what, let me just put a shirt on and we'll finish the movie."

Mal sighed and pulled back, an eyebrow raised, "I mean, I don't mind if you don't want to put one on," she replied, smirk playing on her lips.

Ben chuckled and flicked her nose gently, before getting up and grabbing a shirt from his wardrobe. Mal cuddled up to him the moment he lay back down, tangling their legs together and wrapping their arms around each other. Soon enough, someone came to inform them that dinner was about to be served, so they got up and headed to the dining room. Mal's face went pink when she saw Adam and Belle but she tried to keep it under control, smiling awkwardly at them, a gesture that was returned.

They all ate in silence for a while, no one knowing what to say until Adam finally decided to speak up.

"I think we should probably talk about what happened," he said, decisively.

Mal went bright red and Ben said: "Dad, no, please. That's unnecessary."

"I don't think it is, Ben. I know you two are teenagers but you need to be more responsible."

Mal stared down at her food, face getting redder by the second and Ben put a hand over his face, groaning, "Nothing happened, Dad. All we were doing was kissing."

"Be that as it may, it seemed as though you may have been about to take it further and you know you can't because-"

"We can't take the risk that we might have an illegitimate heir. Yes, Dad, I know. Please, can we just stop talking about it?" Ben's face was now red as well and he'd grasped one of Mal's hands in his own, comfortingly.

"I just hope you're responsible enough to realise that you have to wait until you're married."

"I know, Dad. Just drop it, please."

Adam sighed but dropped it. Belle suddenly looked up with a smile, "Well, I think one day you two will have very cute children," she said in the hope to defuse the awkwardness a bit.

The two teens blushed again but Ben's face broke out into a grin. "Yeah, one day."

Everyone fell into silence again and once the meal was over, Ben half-dragged Mal back to his room.

"I'm so sorry about that. I didn't think Dad was going to give us the illegitimate heir lecture," Ben apologised, when he noticed Mal still looked uncomfortable.

Mal just shrugged, "It's fine. It makes sense why he's worried." She paused for a second before adding, "I think it only just sunk in that if I'm to be your queen, the kingdom is going to expect an heir from us."

"Hey, we don't have to think about that yet," Ben said, "It's a long while away."

"I know. It's just, you know, a lot."

Ben pulled her in for a hug, "Which is why we don't have to think about it yet."

"Ben, I need to show you something," Mal said, pulling away from him.

Ben cocked his head, "What's wrong?"

Mal fingered the hem of her shirt before taking a deep breath and slowly pulling it up.

"Woah, Mal, what are you doing?" Ben asked, taken aback by her actions.

Mal gave him a look, "Nothing like that. Just...I have something really important to show you, but you have to promise not to freak out."

Ben nodded still confused, "Okay, I promise."

Mal turned away from him and removed her shirt, displaying her back to him. He heard her mutter something and her back was enveloped in green magic. When the magic cleared, Ben couldn't stop his gasp of shock.

"Mal..."

Her back was covered with scars, white and prominent, disfiguring her skin.

Mal let out a choked sob, still facing away from him. "I know. They're ugly. But when I heard your parents talking about us getting married and having children, I knew that I'd have to show you. I can't let you believe a lie. I'm broken, damaged. I always will be and you shouldn't have to-" Whatever he shouldn't have to do was forgotten, as Ben tucked his fingers under her chin and turned her head so that he could kiss her.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, " _These_ are beautiful." His fingers dance lightly across the marks. He bent down and kissed on that was across her left shoulder blade.

Mal's breathing hitched, the tears that had been falling down her face suddenly slowing down.

"But, Ben..." He silenced her with another kiss.

"Mal, these scars mark you as a survivor. They show how brave you are and how far you've come. Each one has a story, where you come out on top because you _survived_."

Fresh tears began falling down her face. "So you're not disgusted by them?"

"I'm disgusted by the fact that someone would even _think_ of doing this to you, but I'm not disgusted by the scars themselves." To emphasise his point, he kissed another scar, this one sat between her shoulder blades.

Mal stood still, breathing shakily as Ben proceeded to caress each scar on her back, murmuring the whole time about how beautiful she was and how much she loved her. After tracing the scar on the small of her back, he gently turned her around. He raised his hand to her cheek and wiped away a few tears from her face. Mal gave him a watery smile before dropping her gaze to his lips and pulling him towards her. Ben kissed back in a manner that could only be described as searing. "I love you so much," he murmured between kisses, "So, so much." Mal's lips tasted salty from all the tears that had been shed but he kept kissing her, stroking her marked back slowly with his hand.

Eventually, they slowed down and Mal pulled back a little. She didn't trust herself to speak, so just wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Ben held her as close to himself as he could, his large hands splayed over her back protectively, his cheek resting on her head.

A few minutes later, Ben slowly pulled away and grabbed Mal's t-shirt from the floor;he helped her back into it. Silently, they went over to Ben's bed and lay on it, Mal's head on his chest and Ben's fingers running through her purple locks. It was quiet and peaceful and they felt like the only two people in the world, away from troubled pasts and uncertain futures. They were just two people in love and enjoying the present, no longer hiding what they felt could never be shared.

 **Et voila, EvelynGrimhilde6. Sorry I made it a little angsty at the end (I can't help myself) but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!**

 **Also, I was asked to write a Carlos focused oneshot in honour of Cameron Boyce, so if you wish to read that, it's called From a Boy to a Man. It's short but it didn't feel right to make it any longer.**

 **Request Count Down: 5 (Say what?)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thank you! And, yeah, she knew where they were now, so it was best to just leave them.**

 **kbear100: Awww, you're so sweet! My heart fluttered with happiness when I read your review. Thank you.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: Well, Mal is a VK. Hiding is one of her specialities so it was so fun to write all of that. And you're cute. I love you too.**

 **Mightymax0: (105) No. Disney Channel films never have more than three films, and if they have more, it's very rare. D3 was planned to be the last film ever since they announced they were doing it.**

 **Guest: It really does hurt, doesn't it? But he will live on in the legacy he left behind.**

 **Guest: (5) This request I was more than willing to do. It's separate from this one though, so it's its own story, called From a Boy to a Man.**

 **NickiPatterson: Yes, I am. I'm sixteen, nearly seventeen. I was fifteen when I started this book over a year and a half ago. And thank you. That means a lot.**

 **Bonnie: I complete understand that. R.I.P**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	108. Your Pain in My Pain (Bal)

The sky was an angry grey with the clouds that threatened to burst at any minute. Thunderstorms were predicted for the following week and so people tried to stay inside as much as possible, to avoid getting caught when the thunderstorm chose to hit. Inside Auradon Prep, a girl was painting a scene of thunder and lightning, inspired by the weather forecast. She smiled to herself as she added a scratch of white on the canvas. Her paints rested on a table next to the easel, where she swished her paintbrush in the water she'd just replaced. Along her cheek was a streak of light grey that must've gotten there when she'd brushed a purple hair out of her face. The girl was pleased with the finished result of her work and began to clean up after herself, washing the brushes properly and putting away the paints. She then placed the easel out of the way to allow the painting to dry properly.

Just as she finished up, someone appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, there you are, Mal," Ben said, looking at his girlfriend.

Mal turned around as she removed her painting shirt. "Hey, Ben," she said, pulling the long button-up off completely and hanging it up in the supply closet, on a peg labelled 'Mal'. "Did you need something or did you just miss me?"

"I always miss you," Ben replied, "But I just needed to let you know that the council meeting has been moved up an hour so you don't want to be late."

Mal nodded, "Okay. Any chance that they might actually listen to what I have to say?"

"I'm sure they will. Once they realise that their prejudice is misplaced."

"So, no chance then?" Mal replied, heading over to him.

Ben laughed, "Some of them respect you, Mal. Don't worry too much."

Mal sighed, "I guess you're right. I'd better go put something other than paint-stained jeans on."

Ben smiled, "And scrub your face whilst you're at it."

Mal raised her eyebrows questioningly so Ben gestured to his own cheek to show where the paint was. Mal touched it. "And scrub my face. Great. I'll meet you at the gates in twenty minutes."

Ben nodded and left the room, Mal leaving just after him but going in the other direction. Once she was in her dorm, Mal made a bee-line for the bathroom and scrubbed the paint off of her face as fast as she could. Once the paint was off, she swapped her t-shirt and jeans for a dress and flats. She also ran a brush through her hair and shoved it into a neat bun. After a quick application of a little bit of make-up, she grabbed her phone and left the room, heading to the gate.

Ben was waiting patiently by the gate, as promised, and the two of them hopped into Ben's car and he drove them to Castle Beast. They arrived right on time as everyone else, both royals and sidekicks, were just sitting down. Ben called the meeting to attention and everyone listened up. Mal felt the glares from those who still did not like her but didn't let it bother her.

"The first item on the list, the children of the Isle," Ben began saying, "As we know, opening the barrier is getting increasingly risky as villains will begin using it as a way to escape but we can not just leave innocent children there. Does anyone have a suggestion as to a solution?"

"Why are these children our responsibility?" Prince Charming (Cinderella's husband) asked, "It's not our fault that their parents were villains and criminals."

"Nor is it theirs," Megara answered, "They didn't choose the life they have. By saving them we are giving them a chance to be who they deserve to be."

"And there is no way to get them out without opening the barrier?" Hercules asked.

"There doesn't seem to be," Mal answered, "Ben and I have been through many scenarios and the only ones we can think of that may work involve the opening of the barrier. Which is why I've suggested posting guards. If there are guards stationed where the barrier is opened, they may be able to stop any villains who try to get out."

"So we risk the lives of our citizens?" Prince Philip demanded, "We heroes struggled to face these villains, what makes you think a few guards can handle it?"

Mal sat up a bit straighter, "The opening of the barrier will not allow enough magic in for the villains with magic to be able to use it properly and many of the villains have become lazy in their time. However, so as not to underestimate the villains, these guards will be trained with every trick and every villainous tactic in mind."

"We'd still be putting their lives at risk," Princess Aurora argued.

"And by not doing anything, we're putting the lives of innocent children at risk," Mal responded, "These guards would be trained, unlike the children whose only ability to defend themselves is to become their parents and sometimes, that doesn't even work. These children are abused, constantly. You disappoint your parents, you know about it. And more often than not, the scars are permanent, even if they're invisible."

Flora spoke up, "I spent sixteen years taking care of a child whose harm was yet to come. I agree that we should do what we can to help the children who are being harmed now. They need a chance at a normal life." Princess Aurora looked down at her hands at this. "If we have people more than willing to fight a war when necessary, we will find people who are willing to risk their lives to defend these children by guarding the barrier, especially when the children leave."

"Exactly, Flora, thank you," Ben agreed, "We'll give you all some time to think about this and we'll have a council meeting next week where we put it to a vote if no other ideas come forward. Now, onto the next item on the list..." And so the meeting went on.

Finally, once it was over, Ben and Mal waited until everyone had left before standing up and heading out.

"They're not going to listen to me, are they?" Mal sighed as they neared the entrance.

"Mal, I could tell, you got into some of their heads. I think they will agree with you," Ben reassured her.

Mal huffed, "This is just so annoying. You can tell that a lot of them won't even bother thinking about it because it's me. What do I know about any of this? I'm just the daughter of a villain!"

"Hey, I know it feels like they're always against you but I think this time you've gotten through to most of them." They were now outside and heading towards their scooters.

"But they're not going to want to do it, are they? Not going to want to risk the lives of their citizens because of something that was suggested by a..." She nearly growled in frustration as her eyes began to glow, "By a villain!" Mal threw her hands down in anger at this point and suddenly Ben flew backwards with a cry of shock. "Ben!"

Ben sat up a little dazed, "It's okay. I'm okay."

Mal placed her hands over mouth, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what happened."

Ben winced a bit as he stood up, "It's okay, it was an accident. I'm fine." He rubbed his shoulder, which he landed on, as he walked towards her.

"I hurt you," she half-whispered, "I can't believe I hurt you. Ben, I'm so sorry."

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm fine," he reassured her. He made to grab her hand but she flinched away. He sighed, "I'm okay, Mal, seriously." When she stepped back after he stepped towards her again, his shoulders drooped in defeat, "Come on, let's just get back to AP, okay? It's been a long day."

Mal nodded and rubbed her arms as they walked to the scooters. Mal kept her distance from Ben, leaving more space than necessary between them as they drove. Just as they arrived in AP grounds, the storm clouds gave way and rain came crashing down. As they rushed inside, Ben pulled off his blazer and held it over both of their heads, having to stretch his right arm quite far as Mal refused to get any closer to him. Once inside, Mal took off towards her room so fast, Ben didn't even have a chance to bid her goodbye. Deciding that all she probably needed was some time, Ben went to get changed into some dry clothes before heading to the cafeteria for dinner. When he got there, Mal hadn't arrived yet, but the rest of the gang was there and there were two seats left at their usual table, which were sat side-by-side.

"Did you get caught in the rain?" Doug asked, noting Ben's wet hair.

Ben nodded and sat down in one of the empty chairs, waiting patiently for Mal to turn up, "Yeah, we just got back from the meeting."

Mal then entered the cafeteria, her wet hair pulled back in a ponytail and the paint-stained jeans, as well as her t-shirt from earlier, were back on. She hesitated when she saw that the only seat left was next to Ben but she sat down in it, sitting as far from him as she could. Ben reached for her hand under the table but when his fingers brushed against hers, the image of Ben being thrown back played in her mind so she flinched and pulled her hand away. Ben looked hurt but she knew that this way, at least she wouldn't physically hurt him again.

Ben pinched his lips together. He didn't want to alert anyone else at the table as to what was happening between him and Mal so he said nothing and decided to wait until after dinner to talk to her.

When Mal got up after dinner, Ben was quick to follow her. He kept some space between them as they walked out but once they were in the halls, he gently grabbed her wrist. Mal jerked away from his grip quickly but stopped. She turned around and stared at the floor, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Mal, come on, talk to me," he begged.

Mal shook her head, "I'm fine, Ben." She didn't give Ben any chance to reply and turned away. She went back to her room as fast as possible. She flung herself onto her bed and squeezed her pillow in her arms as the image of Ben flying backwards went through her head again and again and again. She'd done that. She'd caused the pain that she saw in his face when he fell to the ground. She'd lost control over her magic due to her frustration. Mal gripped her pillow harder in her arms as she'd begun to imagine what could've happened. She could have hurt him even more or she could've...could've killed him. The thought scared her more than anything. She looked up at the picture that was next to her bed, of her, her best friends and Ben at Cotillion.

As she stared the smile on his face in that photo seemed to turn into a grimace of pain. Mal quickly looked away and rolled over to her side with her back facing the photo and the door.\She felt the tears building up behind her eyes but refused to let them go. Just then, the door opened and heels clicked on the ground as the person approached Mal's bed.

"M, what happened?" Evie sat down on the bed, causing it the mattress to dip slightly, "Ben said that you won't talk to him." Mal felt Evie's hand begin to stroke her hair.

"I hurt him, E," Mal replied, as the first tears finally broke free and began rolling down her face.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked, pulling her feet on the bed. Mal turned over and laid her head in Evie's lap.

"I got frustrated and I lost control of my magic. Ben flew backwards. He was hurt." A choked sob escaped Mal's throat and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Oh, M. Ben's okay. He didn't seem very hurt at all," Evie told her as she continued to stroke her best friend's hair.

"What if I hurt him worse next time?" Mal asked, looking up at Evie, hopelessness in her eyes.

"You won't."

"How can you know that though? I didn't have any control." Evie didn't say anything so Mal just sighed and curled up to her closer, "I've been frustrated before. Why did I lose control this time, E?"

"I don't know, M. I don't know." Evie felt as defeated as Ben had seemed when she'd seen him in the hall. There was no logical explanation for it.

They sat there in silence for a while before Mal spoke up, lifting her head off of Evie's lap. "Can you leave me alone for a while? I don't want to be around people right now."

Evie nodded and got off the bed, allowing Mal to just lay on her bed, her back to the door, once again. Evie sighed as she left the room. When she was half-way down the hall, she saw Ben at the other end, clearly heading towards her dorm. Once she reached him, she gently grabbed his arm to stop him.

"I'd leave her for now," she warned him, "I think she just needs some time. Can you tell me what happened so that we can figure out why she may have lost control? If we can figure that out, we may be able to put her mind to rest."

Ben hesitated for a second, looking towards the girls' dorms, clear desperation in his eyes, but he nodded and followed Evie to one of the student lounges. Evie sat down one of the sofas, patting the seat next to her. Ben obeyed and sat next to her.

"Can you remember what happened?" Evie asked softly.

Ben nodded, running a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. "Yeah. The meeting had just finished so we were heading towards our scooters and she was getting frustrated because she felt like people hadn't really listened to her about her plan for getting the VKs out of the Isle. Then she just threw her hands down and the magic pulsed out of her, throwing me back."

"Okay. Do you remember what she said when that happened? Something that might have triggered it?"

Ben sighed and sat back, running a hand over his face, "I don't know, Evie. It happened so quickly. She just froze up after that and now she won't even look at me."

Evie sighed and nodded, "Okay, fine. Look, I'm sure she'll be fine tomorrow. Why don't you drop by after breakfast? You can talk whilst you walk to your lockers."

Ben nodded, "Okay." Ben stood up to leave but Evie pulled him back down and quickly comb his hair back to neatness with a pocket hairbrush she'd just pulled out of her purse. Ben gave her a look and laughed before leaving, thanking her for her help.

That night, dreams plagued both the king and his lady. Ben dreamt of the incident, his mind subconsciously replaying the memory over and over. He woke up with Mal yelling _"A villain!"_ ringing in his ears, the last words she'd said before her magic threw him.

Mal was also dreaming of the incident but not quite. In her dream, when Ben flew backwards, he didn't get up again. He didn't even twitch. He just lay there. Mal woke up with Ben's name ripping from her throat.

"M?" The sleepy voice Evie came.

Mal took deep breaths, trying to avoid letting the tears fall. "Sorry, E. I'm fine. It was just a dream." But she knew it wasn't. It was a memory. A distorted one with untrue facts in it, but the majority of it was real and that frightened her enough to cause her to not be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

By the time breakfast was over, Mal, who had skipped, was already by her locker, sorting through her books. She knew that first period wouldn't start for a while but she wanted to occupy herself. After triple checking that she had all her books and homework, Mal began sorting through the art supplies she'd left in her locker, organising them so that there was space for more.

"Hey, Mal," a voice said behind her causing her to jump.

"Ben! Hey," she exclaimed as she shut her locker, "What're you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't in your dorm so I figured I'd probably find you here," Ben replied, "Evie mentioned that you didn't have any breakfast so I grabbed this for you." He offered her a breakfast bar which made her smile. Despite everything, he still tried to take care of her. Mal gladly took it, which seemed to make Ben smile more than it probably should have. "So are you feeling better? After yesterday?" Mal forced a smile and nodded, not wanting to worry Ben as he had more important things to focus on than her. "Good."

Just then, his phone rang, making him sigh. "Hello?" Ben greeted as he answered it. "Okay, yeah, I have a free period now, so I'll be there in a second." He smiled at Mal, "Duty calls," he said, hanging up, "I'll see you later." He bent down to kiss her but Mal turned her head so that he got her cheek and even then she flinched at the contact. When Ben pulled back, he saw in her eyes a fear that was barely concealed. All he wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms and reassure her that what happened was an accident and he was fine apart from a bruise on his shoulder. But he had to go and he knew that if he tried, she'd freeze up again. He forced a smile and left, feeling more defeated than he'd ever had. He didn't know what to do any more. He felt so lost.

He pulled out his phone and called Evie, not knowing who else to turn to. "She's not okay, Evie. And I don't know what to do or how to convince that what happened was an accident and that she doesn't have to be scared of it happening again. I think I know why it happened but she's not even giving me a chance to talk to her."

Evie was silent for a few seconds, "I know what to do. Mal has a lesson last, do you have a free period?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Good, means you can get to our room before the end of the day. I'll have Jay steal her dorm key from her and I'll lock you two in."

"Is that a good idea?" Ben asked, not wanting to put Mal in a situation where she was trapped.

"She probably won't talk to you otherwise. She will walk away or ask you to leave. If you two are locked in, neither can happen."

Ben sighed but he knew that there was probably no other options. "Okay, fine."

He glanced outside as he hung up the phone, he glanced outside and saw that it was still raining. He couldn't help but hope that the storm would pass soon.

The day went by quite quickly for Mal and soon she was headed to the art room. When she got there, she saw Evie looking at the painting she had finished the previous day.

"Uh, E?"

Evie turned her head, "Oh, there you are, Mal! I thought you might come here after class. Can you come back to the dorm with me? I'm in desperate need for a model. I'm working with new material and you're the customer who's least like to judge me if it goes wrong."

Mal hesitated, "Can't you get someone else to do it?"

"Pretty please," Evie begged, folding her hands together and pouting.

Mal rolled her eyes, "Fine."

Evie clapped in delight and practically dragged Mal back to their dorm, chattering the whole time about the different types of clothes she could make her with this new material. Mal listened with a forced smile on her face, already wishing that this was over so that she could go back to the art room and get lost in her painting.

"Well, anyway, I hope it works," Evie said as they approached the door. Mal's eyes widened with shock when she saw Ben on the other side of the door.

"Wait wh-" Mal didn't get time to finish her question before Evie shoved her into the room and closed the door behind her. Mal heard the lock click as she regained her footing and growled, "What the hell, Evie?" She began fumbling through her pockets, trying to find her key. "Dammit, E! Where's my key?"

"You'll get it back later. This is for your own good," Evie replied.

"Let me out!" Mal yelled, banging on the door.

"Sorry, M." And with that, Mal heard her friend walk away.

Mal yelled out in frustration, spinning around and looking at Ben, her facial expression turning from anger to sadness, "Why are you here, Ben?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Ben getting up from Mal's bed and walking over to her.

"I told you, I'm fine," Mal said, backing away as far as she could before hitting her back on the door. Her eyes were downcast and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Mal, you won't even look at me!" Ben cried out, "You're not fine!" He stepped closer but Mal held out her hands.

"No, Ben, please don't get any closer. I don't want to hurt you again."

"You won't," Ben insisted, "What happened was an accident."

"So what? What if it happens again? What if next time it happens, I hurt you even worse. What if I _kill_ you?"

Ben stilled at the last sentence as she looked up at him. His heart shattered at the look on her face, telling him that she genuinely believed that she could do that. That she would do that. "Mal, you're not going to kill me. I have a few bruises and that's it."

"That doesn't mean that next time I won't hurt you worse!"

"Mal, look at me. There won't be a next time. You got frustrated and your magic reacted to you calling yourself the one thing you never want to be. Okay? It happened out of fear."

"How could you know that?" Mal cried.

"You called yourself a villain, Mal. For a split second, you believed that you were a villain and you reacted to it."

Mal sank to the floor, crying. "How could you love me, Ben? All I do is wreck everything I touch and I hurt you."

"Mal, look at me," Ben said, softly, kneeling beside her. When she refused, he tucked a finger under her chin and gently turned her head so that she was looking at him. "You know I love you, no matter what. _All_ of you. Magic included."

"But I hurt you, Ben. If I hurt you, who's to say I won't hurt someone else?"

"Me," Ben said, "Because I'm _never_ going to let you believe that you are a villain. And because I love you. Because I love _every part_ of you. You had a burst of anger. We all do. But I know you enough to know that this won't happen again." Mal gave him a questioning look. "You learn from your mistakes faster than anyone I know. I think that now that you're aware of what could happen, you will be more alert to your magic and you will get it under control before something happens." Tears began falling out of Mal's eyes and Ben cupped her cheeks, gently wiping them away with his thumb. "I love you, Mal. Okay? Nothing, _nothing_ will ever change that."

Mal sniffed a few times before wrapping her arms around Ben's neck and holding on to him tightly. Ben's arms went around her waist. "I love you too. I just don't want to hurt you."

Ben pulled away but didn't let go, "I'm fine Mal. I'm okay."

Mal nodded and hugged him tightly again, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "I love you," she whispered into his shoulder.

"I love you," Ben replied, kissing the side of her head, "I love you so much."

When Evie returned a little while later, she found Mal curled up in Ben's lap on the floor next to the door. By the look of Ben's thankful smile, her plan had worked. She smiled back and backed out of the room, leaving the two of them alone for a little while longer.

 **Here you go, Kate cheese. I hope you enjoyed it!**

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 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	109. Wedding Bells Ringing (Bal)

The sun rose early that day, as though it too was as excited for the day as everyone else in Auradon. In an apartment near the centre of town, a young woman was fast asleep, her dark purple curtains drawn tightly over the window, blocking out light from entering her room before she was ready to get up. There was a knock at her door but the woman just rolled over and kept sleeping. The person on the other side of the door knocked again before giving up and just opening the door

"Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty!" Evie called out, waking Mal, "We have a big day ahead of us."

Mal groaned, "First of all, never call me that again," she muttered, "And secondly, _what_?"

"What do you mean _what_?" Evie said, looking shocked, "Well, I guess I'd better tell Ben you're not going to the wedding then. He'd be so disappointed."

"Wedding?" Mal asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, "What wed-" suddenly she cut herself off, "The wedding!" Suddenly awake, Mal got out of bed and ran to hug Evie, "I'm getting married today!"

Evie laughed and nodded, "Yes, you are," she replied, hugging her best friend back, "So, we have a lot of work to do before we get to the cathedral. I've made breakfast so eat up. The rest of the bridesmaids will be here any second."

"You've already made breakfast?" Mal asked, glancing at her clock on her phone, "Evie, it's five in the morning!"

"And the wedding is at eleven. Come on, eat up! We have four people to get ready." Mal rolled her eyes but grinned as she followed Evie into the kitchen, finding she'd prepared pancakes with strawberries and cream and steaming cup of coffee was sat beside it. Mal ate up as fast as she could, her plate whisked away from her as soon as she was finished. After sticking everything in the dishwasher, Mal found herself being sat in a chair in their living room, which Evie had turned into a makeshift salon. Immediately Evie got to work on her make-up.

As she sat in the chair, the plan for the day went through her head. She and her bridesmaids would get ready at the apartment (which she'd just finished moving out of the previous day). Dizzy had also offered her services to help them all get ready. Then the carriages would come and pick up the girls. Evie, Jane and Lonnie would go in the first one and Mal would sit in the second one. Then they'd walk into the cathedral and the ceremony would begin. After the ceremony, she and Ben would be taken back to Castle Beast in an open carriage (unlike the closed ones that she'd arrive in). They'd go onto the front balcony of the castle and there would wave to the citizens – Ben warned her that they may also be expected to share a kiss up there – then they'd head back inside and there would be a massive ball in their honour, where they would share their first dance as husband and wife. After that, they'd get into a car where the citizens would think they were waving them off to their honeymoon when actually they would be heading to a smaller reception where they'd have dinner and a good time with all their friends. There would also be wedding pictures that would not be allowed to be accessed by the press so they were personal for themselves and their families. After that, they'd head back to the Castle Beast, where they'd spend their wedding night and then, in the early morning, they'd sneak out and drive to the summer palace where they'd spend the rest of their honeymoon.

The doorbell pulled Mal out of her thoughts but she was forced to stay seated whilst Evie got the door. Lonnie and Jane came in, surprisingly awake for the time of day, followed by Dizzy who was bubbly as ever. Chatter ensued immediately. After Evie had finished with Mal's make-up, she moved onto the others, leaving Mal's hair and nails to the hands of Dizzy.

"I can't believe you're finally getting married," Lonnie said, as she painted Jane's nails.

Mal laughed and then hissed, "Ow, Dizzy, don't tug so hard," she complained as the eighteen-year-old daughter of Drizella focused on her hair.

"Beauty is pain," Dizzy replied, making Mal roll her eyes. "Now sit still. It won't hurt so much if you do."

Mal huffed and sat still before replying to Lonnie's earlier comment, "I know. We've been planning it for two years. It's strange that I'll wake up tomorrow and I won't be worrying about cake or dresses or guest lists or whatever. I'll be waking up a wife."

"Aww," Jane cooed, doing her best not to move her face too much whilst Evie did her make-up. Lonnie finished up on Jane's nails and so began doing her hair, which Dizzy had trained her to do many times. Once Jane and Mal were finished, Dizzy and Evie began to sort out Lonnie, with Jane doing her nails. Mal was banned from doing anything other than chatting and watching because "It's your big day! We want to pamper you!"

They finished with the hair and make-up with half an hour to spare before the carriages were due to arrive. The three bridesmaids went to go their dresses on and Dizzy helped Mal into her wedding dress. It was a long silk skirt that flowed behind her for only a couple of inches (as Mal had wanted to be able to dance in it) and a lace bodice with a Queen Anne neckline. Her hair was up in a braided bun and dotted with white flowers. Under her dress, unseen, were combat boots on her feet, which she fought with Evie about. They ended up agreeing that she could wear combat boots if she spray-painted them gold, a small price to pay in Mal's opinion. She wore her Beast signet ring on her right index finger (her something old), a diamond necklace around her neck (her something new) and sapphire tear-drop earrings hanging from her ears (her something blue). She didn't have her something borrowed but she figured that as soon as she told Evie, the blue-haired girl would hand her something. She'd also moved her engagement ring to her right ring finger, where it would stay until the wedding band was on her left ring finger.

Dizzy squealed at the sight of her. "You look amazing!"

Mal smiled at her and attempted to pull her in for a hug but Dizzy stepped back, "Uh, no. Not going to risk wrinkling the dress. I gotta go now, though. I need to get dressed as well."

Mal bid the girl goodbye and then took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror. After a deep breath, she stepped out of her bedroom into the living room where all the girls were standing around, chatting in their emerald green, one-shoulder mermaid dresses. Each of them had their hair up in crown braids and were wearing diamonds around their necks and in their ears.

"You guys look amazing!" she exclaimed, smiling at her friends all of whom gasped when they saw her.

"We look amazing? Have you see yourself?" Lonnie exclaimed.

"Oh, you're such a beautiful bride!" Jane proclaimed.

Mal blushed and smiled shyly, "Thanks, guys. I'm so lucky to have you guys at my side."

"Oh, your veil!" Evie suddenly exclaimed running over to get it. She then carefully pinned it to the back of her bun. The veil was lace and came down to the small of Mal's back. She smiled at Evie and was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

"Wait, the carriages are not due for twenty minutes yet!" Mal exclaimed, a little confused. She didn't want to arrive early as that would confuse everything.

The door opened to reveal Belle, dressed in her usual yellow, looking just as beautiful as she'd seemed in her own wedding photos.

"Belle, how nice to see you," Evie said, with a smile, "We weren't expecting you though."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I'm not inconveniencing anyone. I just wanted to give Mal something." She gestured to the box that she carried in her hand.

"Go ahead. Don't worry. You just gave us a bit of a fright."

Belle smiled apologetically before going over to Mal. "I don't know if you have a something borrowed yet, but I was hoping you'd wear this."

Mal watched as Belle opened the box to reveal a golden tiara. It sparkled softly and was patterned like flowers weaved together. "Your tiara? Oh, I don't know. It's beautiful but..." Mal hesitated for a second, especially with the look Evie was giving her, "Are you sure?"

Belle nodded, "Yes, I'm sure. I'd love you to wear it."

Mal nodded and bent her head slightly whilst Belle took the crown out the box and fitted it onto Mal's head. When Belle stepped back, her bright smile only lasted a few seconds. "Oh. The gold doesn't go with the dress. Never mind, I guess I'll just take it back to the castle."

"Wait," Evie said, "I have a solution. Give me five minutes." Evie ran into her sewing room and three minutes later came out with a length of gold fabric, about an inch thick. She wrapped around Mal's waist and tied it off in the back. "Et voilà! Now it goes with the tiara."

Mal and Belle smiled gratefully at Evie. "I would hug you right now, but I think Evie would kill me if I accidentally wrinkled the dress," Mal joked, "But thank you. So much."

Belle smiled, "Of course, dear. But I'll be collecting on that hug at the reception ball."

"Deal," Mal agreed. Belle left, wanting to make it to the cathedral on time.

The girls then set about getting their bouquets and doing last-minute outfit checks. Evie decided to tie a bit of gold ribbon around Mal's bouquet as well, wanting to make it seem like a planned theme in the outfit.

The girls were all happy and satisfied with everything when there was a knock on the door. The girls knew this one was for carriages and so left the apartment, one after the other. The coachman helped Mal into her carriage and she sat back, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her dress. Her stomach was full of butterflies, both of excitement and nerves. So much could go wrong but as long as she ended up married to Ben by the end of the day, she didn't care all that much. She was going to be his wife. Honestly, Mal had never imagined anything like that before Ben. She'd never even wanted love, let alone a marriage. Now she was imagining it all. Love, marriage and, hopefully, one day, a family.

The carriage ride wasn't long and soon it stopped and the door opened to reveal a grinning Jay who was wearing a black blazer and shirt and a green tie. Mal smiled back at him and held out her hand to him. As she stepped down, she was almost deafened by the cheers of the citizens who had gathered around to watch her arrive and then watch the wedding on a big screen outside the cathedral. Mal glanced up at the screen which was currently just showing her entering. But when she entered the building, although she didn't see it, the cameras switched to inside the cathedral where Ben was stood.

Although he was stood still and had his hands behind his back as he waited, Ben felt as though he was shaking with nerves. His usual kingly attire was freshly cleaned and the golden crown was polished to perfection. The procession music began and Ben looked up. Chad and Lonnie were the first to walk down the aisle, Chad wearing a black blazer, white shirt and a sapphire blue tie and Lonnie wearing a long green dress whilst carrying a bouquet of white flowers in her left hand, her right one wrapped around Chad's elbow. Next was Jane and Carlos, dressed in the same way, immediately followed by Evie and Doug.

Ben smiled gently at Evie and Doug as they finally reached the altar. Evie shot him an excited and knowing grin. Ben knew that this look meant that he should probably prepare himself with what was to come. But no warning could have prepared him for the moment the bridal march began and everyone stood up to watch their future queen.

Ben's breathing hitched when she entered, her hand delicately wrapped around Jay's elbow as the two of them slowly made their way down the aisle. Mal had always been beautiful. But now she was radiant. Her floor-length dress brushed against the ground, the train only a couple of inches long. The gentle motion matched the smile on her face which looked almost shy but seemed to get brighter as she got closer to the altar.

The tiara on her head glistened. He recognised it as the one that belonged to his mother. He wondered if it was Mal's something borrowed. Either way, he could not help but admire how right it looked on her head. Ben watched her make her way up the aisle, his eyes full of love and wonder. This woman was going to be his wife. He was about to marry the most beautiful woman in the world and the love of his life.

"Ben, breathe," Doug whispered from behind him, as they watched Jay guide Mal up the aisle. Ben didn't realise he had been holding a breath and slowly let it out.

Finally, Mal reached the altar and turned to Jay, kissing him gently on the cheek. Jay accepted the kiss before placing his sister's hand in Ben's, making sure to give Ben one final "Take good care of her" look. Mal handed her bouquet to Evie before taking Ben's other hand so that he was holding both of her hands.

Ben couldn't tear his eyes away from Mal, smiling stupidly as she looked right back at him, her grin matching his in brightness and excitement. The daughter of the most evil of them all, who was taught that all love was weakness, was about to get married and promise to love this man for the rest of her life. And she couldn't be happier about it.

The ceremony began and everyone sat. As Fairy Godmother went on about love and marriage, Ben was only half-listening, most of his attention being on the woman in front of him. He couldn't help but smile at her the whole time, taking in the fact that she was about to marry him. And by the look of the smile on her face, she was just as nervous and excited as he was.

Finally, Fairy Godmother turned to the bride and groom with a smile on her face, "I believe the bride and groom have written their own vows?"

Ben and Mal smiled and nodded. Ben turned to Doug, who handed him the piece of paper on which he'd written his vows.

"Mal, these past five years have been the best years of my life. Yes, they have been difficult between balancing school life, royal duties and still trying to find time to be with you but you still put up with me and you stuck by me, ensuring that I didn't overwork myself and putting me in my place when I tried to argue that I wasn't." Mal giggled causing Ben's smile to grow even bigger. "Even though it technically wasn't part of your responsibilities as my lady, you still took on some of my duties to lighten my workload. This showed me that not only were we two teenagers madly in love but also partners and a team." Tears began shining in Mal's eyes as she smiled affectionately at him. "Every day I am thankful that it was me who got to show you what love is and how amazing it truly is. And when you told me that you loved me, I fell even further in love with you. I don't know how I'd live without you and I'm so grateful that I don't have to find out now that I'm about to share the rest of my life with you. The idea alone is the best thing in the world to me.

"Even though we didn't come together in the most...conventional way," Mal giggled again, remembering the cookie. "I thank my lucky stars every day that I have you in my life and I vow to do everything in my power to give you the best life you could ask for. Even if asking you out involved me completely humiliating myself, I'm glad I sang to you after that one tourney game." He paused for a brief second, before grinning as he looked Mal in the eye, a little glint there, "Oh, and did I mention that I'm in love with you?"

Mal had tears of joy streaming down her face (luckily her make-up was waterproof). "And I have to follow that?" Everyone laughed, Ben included. Mal took a deep breath before accepting her paper from Evie and starting her vows.

"Ben, not only are you the only man I have ever loved, but you are also one of my best friends. Even though I was a VK, even though I was Maleficent's daughter, even though I thought I was destined for evil, you kept showing me that I was good. You kept pushing me to what you knew I could be. You loved me and made sure I knew it. When I told you what I'd been through, you became a man on a mission, making sure that neither I nor any other person would ever have to endure that again and it made me fall for you even more than I already had, which I didn't even realise was possible. When I ran, you ran after me, which showed me just how important I was to you. You never let me forget how much you loved me and how much I meant to you. And every day I was reminded why I loved you and just how much I loved you, an amount that seems to be increasing every day. I used to believe that I was going to be by myself, ruling Auradon with evil. Now, all I have belongs to you, heart and soul, and I promise to be by your side for the rest of our lives. Every day, I thank goodness that I gave you that cookie. My love for you is ridiculous." The last two sentences caused Ben to chuckle and he stared at her with the biggest grin she'd ever seen on his face.

Fairy Godmother turned to Doug and then to Evie, "Do you have the rings?"

Doug produced the ring from his pocket and handed it to Ben to give to Mal and Evie gave the ring that was in a little pocket she sewed onto her dress to Mal to give to Ben.

"This ring is a token of my love," Mal said, sliding the ring onto Ben's left ring finger, "I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am."

Ben then took Mal's left hand and slid the ring onto her left finger, just above her engagement ring whilst saying, "I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you."

Fairy Godmother smiled and turned to Ben, "Benjamin Florian, do you take Maleficent Bertha to be your wife?" The use of Mal's full name caused gasps around the room but neither Ben nor Mal cared. "Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honour her for all the days of your life?"

"I do."

"Maleficent Bertha, do you take Benjamin Florian to be your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health to love and honour him for all the days of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, it is my greatest joy to pronounce you husband and wife," Fairy Godmother exclaimed. "You may kiss the bride."

Ben pulled Mal towards him, placing his hands on her waist as he kissed her. His wife. She was his wife. Ben couldn't stop the grin breaking out as everyone cheered around them as they pulled away from each other. Fairy Godmother waved her wand, causing their wedding rings to glow, a blessing on their marriage. Then, she waved it again and confetti began raining down on everyone. Ben and Mal linked hands and walked back down the aisle, waving and smiling. As soon as they were outside, they were greeted by even more cheers from the gathered citizens. They waved and quickly got in the open carriage that was waiting for them. As they headed towards Castle Beast, Mal leaned over to Ben and whispered something in his ear. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief but Mal proved him wrong by picking up her dress enough to see the tip of her shoes. Ben glanced down before looking up at her with an amused smile. They then turned back to their people and began waving again.

Once they arrived at Castle Beast, Ben stepped out of the carriage before helping his bride out. They walked together into the castle, where the servants lined the inner front entrance and applauded. Ben and Mal blushed and smiled again. They walked up the steps to the balcony. Just before they got to the balcony, Ben quickly pulled Mal in for a quick kiss, which made her giggle. She then moved her engagement ring back to her left ring finger and the two of them headed out to the balcony. From there, they waved down at the people below them, neither able to stop smiling. There were people as far as the eye could see, all cheering for them. For their marriage. Ben looked over at Mal as she looked at him and they both leaned in, kissing one another gently. This made the whole kingdom erupt into cheers. Ben and Mal waved again before heading back in. They headed down to the ballroom where many of the guests were milling around, waiting for the king and his new queen to enter and start the celebrations.

"His Majesty King Ben and Her Royal Highness Queen Mal." Though her coronation was two weeks away, she had officially taken on the title of queen the moment she and Ben were pronounced husband and wife. She took her husband's hand and the two of them headed down the stairs before turning to each other, bowing and dancing to the song they'd picked out to be their first dance. They turned and spun around the room, Mal's dress floating around her feet. When they danced, they felt like the only two people in the world. Soon enough, the song was over and the next one began, prompting others to join in the dancing. As soon as they were surrounded by others, Ben leaned down to Mal.

"So, my queen, feel like you need to run yet?"

Mal smiled and threaded her arms around his neck, "I'm afraid you're stuck with me forever, my king."

Ben grinned back, "Glad to hear it." He twirled around before pulling her back into himself, "I'd be disappointed if I wasn't."

Mal hummed, "I know. This whole wedding would've been such a waste of money."

Ben laughed and pulled her in closer. This proved to be a mistake as a sudden pain went through his foot. "You can't go one ball without stepping on my toes, can you?"

Mal smirked at him, "Nope. You'll just never know when it's coming."

Ben chuckled and bent down, kissing her. "I love you," he told her when he pulled back.

"I love you too," Mal replied, hands playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She then moved her hands further up and tilted the crown on his head. Ben laughed again and twirled Mal once more before the song ended.

"Mind if I cut in?" Mal and Ben looked over to see Carlos stood there, holding out a hand to Mal. Mal smiled and took his hand, letting go of Ben in the process. Ben smiled at them and headed over to go mingle with some of their guests whilst a more upbeat song began to play. Carlos and Mal began dancing together, Mal surprisingly being able to keep up with Carlos's moves despite her wedding dress. They laughed as they performed some of the old moves from when they were dancing around the Isle. It felt strange to those moves in wedding attire but at the same time, it felt just like old times, especially when Jay and Evie spotted them and joined in, Evie handing her shoes to Doug before doing so. People stopped dancing and stared as Evie, Jay, Carlos and Mal began performing the routine they'd made up whilst on the Isle. It surprised them that, after five years, they still remembered it but they certainly enjoyed performing the steps as much as they did the first time. The difference was that this dance ended with a round of applause as opposed to the screams of Isle people being frightened by the appearance of Maleficent.

Mal looked over at her friends and said quietly, "Because we're rotten."

"To the core," the other three finished, equally quietly. Mal pulled them in for a group hug, forever thankful for the people she was lucky enough to call her friends. She then pulled away and headed to Ben, who was waiting by the buffet table.

"Hungry?" he asked, gesturing vaguely to the food.

Mal smiled, "Considering my ridiculously early breakfast, yeah. Starving." Ben laughed and they both got some food from the table before going over and talking to some of their guests whilst they ate.

At some point they found themselves talking to some of Belle's friends, who Mal recognised from the engagement ball. She had to withhold a laugh when she saw Ben shift uncomfortably when they approached him. He always got embarrassed over how much they cooed over him.

"Oh, look at you!" One of the ladies exclaimed, "You're married now. And to such a wonderful wife." She reached for Mal's hand and squeezed it. "I always knew you two would go through with it."

Mal narrowed her eyes, "Pardon?"

"Well, a few people were saying that you wouldn't go through with the wedding. You were engaged for two years!" The lady exclaimed.

Mal laughed, "I see. Well, we wanted to wait until we were twenty-one. Imagine what everyone would've said if we had married before that?"

Ben grinned, "The king married as a teenager? Scandalous."

The ladies all tittered. "Oh, that is so true!" Another lady exclaimed, "You can never please everyone though, can you?"

"No," Mal agreed, "Trust me I tried."

"It was certainly interesting seeing you blonde and dressed in pastel colours," Ben said, making Mal roll her eyes good-naturedly.

"Oh, you two are just so cute!" The first lady exclaimed again, "Will we be seeing any little princes and princesses running around soon?"

Ben choked on the drink he'd just taken a sip of and Mal blushed. Once Ben had finished coughing, which had happened with all the ladies looking at him with concern, he apologised and replied, "No, there are no plans for that yet. We just want to settle into married life first."

The ladies looked a little disappointed but didn't comment on it. Eventually, they all wandered off to talk to other people and Ben and Mal headed to the back of the room where they were a little more secluded.

They stood there together for a while, watching their friends all dancing around and enjoying one another's company. They smiled as they watched Doug twirl his fiancée around and laughed as they watched Belle and Adam try to keep up with the more upbeat music of the young people. Eventually, they gave up and came over to their son and new daughter-in-law.

"There's my beautiful daughter," Belle exclaimed, holding out her arms to Mal. Mal gladly embraced her, feeling a warmth spread through her at Belle calling her her daughter. "You looked so gorgeous up there! And your vows were just heart-warming."

"I have to ask though," Adam said, "Why did you have Fairy Godmother use your full name in the ceremony? Surely you don't want to associate yourself with your mother even more?"

Mal shrugged, "Because I'm taking what's rightfully mine. My mother never allowed me that name because I wasn't evil enough but it's my name, no matter what she says. So I'm taking ownership of it and what better way than to do it in front of thousands of people whilst marrying the love of my life?"

"You're going to get a lot of backlash in the media for that," Adam warned.

Mal smiled, "I know. But I couldn't let that name stay a taboo. It's my name and I'm going to show that good can come out of it."

Adam smiled appreciatively, "Well, I admire that. Would Her Majesty perhaps do me the honour of a dance?" He bowed and held out his hands.

Mal curtsied before taking his hand, "The honour is all mine."

Adam led her on to the dance floor, where a slower song was playing once again. Ben and Belle watched from the sidelines for a bit before Ben held out a hand to his mother. She laughed when he planted a kiss on her knuckles before leading her onto the dance floor. The mother-son duo danced near their spouses; Ben and Adam lead the dance and danced the women around the room. After the dance, Ben embraced his mother, who had tears sparkling in her eyes.

"My baby is all grown up," she whispered, "How can my little boy be married, eh?"

Ben blushed and smiled, "Still your little boy, Mom. I always will be."

Belle hummed and patted his cheek, "I'm so proud of you."

"I know," Ben replied. Belle smiled and released him with a sigh.

"I'll let you get back to your wife," she said. Ben's grin got even brighter. He kissed his mother's cheek and headed over to where Mal was talking to Adam.

"Is your mother getting emotional?" Adam asked, looking at Ben when he wrapped his arm around Mal's waist.

Ben nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, I'd better get back to her. Don't want her crying as she did during the ceremony."

"Your mother was crying during the ceremony?" Mal whispered to Ben.

"Sweetheart, if you think I was able to focus on anything other than you, you're wrong," Ben replied, grinning down at her.

"Sweetheart? That's a new one," Mal said, giving him a confused look.

"I figured I'd try something different. If you don't like it, I won't use it again."

Mal laughed, "No, it's fine. I'm just wondering where that one's been hiding these past five years?"

"Underneath the fear that you would give me one of your glares if I did call you something like that," he admitted. "I mean, you can tell you're half dragon when you glare." Mal laughed and playfully nudged him. Ben pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head.

"When can we get out of here?" Mal asked as she watched the ball happen around her, "Because as much as I love dances, I just want to be with our friends. These things are so much bigger than the dances back at AP."

Ben laughed, "Well, this one does have our close personal friends _and_ all the nobles in the country _and_ everyone's plus one."

Mal sighed, "That doesn't answer my question."

"A couple of hours," Ben said, "Then we get out of here."

Mal smiled and turned to him, "Dance with me?"

"Always."

Those few hours passed by quickly, with a lot of dancing, food and congratulations coming from every direction. Soon enough, Ben and Mal were getting into the car and everyone was waving them off. After a car change, so as to throw off paparazzi, Ben and Mal were taken to their location for their smaller reception: a small town hall that they'd rented out, under the pretence of being one of the parties that were celebrating the wedding of their monarchs. It wasn't a lie. The people who rented it out to them just didn't realise that it was the monarchs themselves. There were so many parties happening around the country for this day, especially as it was declared a public holiday, so it didn't seem suspicious at all. When Ben and Mal entered, they saw that all their friends and family had made it and were now applauding them. The place was decorated with green and blue streamers and a photo of the two of them in the back, blown up, with 'Congratulations Ben and Mal' written above it.

Mal gasped at the sight of the photo. When Evie had told her that they were going to put up a photo of them, she had expected it to be one of their professional photos from one of the many events that Ben and Mal had gone to, but in fact, it was a silly selfie that Ben had taken. In it, Ben was grinning like an idiot and Mal looked like she'd just been surprise attacked, which she basically had been. Mal covered her face in embarrassment when she realised this photo had been from the times that Ben was under a love potion.

Ben took them over to their seats and the two of them sat with their hands entwined as Carlos took the microphone. "So, before we get on with the entertainment, we have speeches. We're going to start with the maid of honour. Everyone give it up for Evie!"

Evie took the microphone as the guests politely applauded. "Actually, instead of speech, I wanted to share a song with you. Mal sang me this once and I think she should know that it goes both ways. Lonnie?"

Over at the DJ booth, Lonnie gave a thumbs up and began playing a track.

Evie began dancing around Mal's chair as she sang.

 _"You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got it_

 _I'm your girl_

 _Every time you miss the beat_

 _And life pulls you under_

 _And when you need your rhythm back_

 _Yeah, I'll be your drummer_

 _No matter where you're comin' from_

 _I'll see your true colours_

 _Oh, ooh, ooh_

 _Oh, oh, ooh, oh_

 _If you come undone, I'll be the one_

 _To make the beat go on and on and on_

 _I'll be your A to the Z_

 _Even if trouble's comin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got_

 _I'm your girl_

 _I'll be whatever you need_

 _Call me and I'll come runnin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got it_

 _I'm your girl_

 _You know I got it_

 _I'm you girl_

 _I'm a little bit sunshine_

 _I'm a little bit starlight_

 _Sometimes when my halo slips_

 _I dance on the wild side_

 _No matter where you're coming from_

 _I know what it feels like_

 _Oh, ooh, ooh_

 _Oh, oh, ooh, ooh_

 _If you come undone, I'll be the one_

 _To make the beat go on and on and on_

 _I'll be your A to the Z_

 _Even if trouble's comin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got_

 _I'm your girl_

 _I'll be whatever you need_

 _Call me and I'll come runnin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got it_

 _I'm your girl_

 _And if the road gets long_

 _I'll be hangin' strong_

 _Ye-ah, ye-ah, ye-e-e-e-e-eah_

 _And if you get lost sometimes_

 _I'll be your neon sign_

 _Ye-ah, ye-ah, cause I'm your girl_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _I'm, I'm, I'm your girl..._

 _If you come undone, I'll be the one_

 _To make the beat go on and on and on_

 _Be the one to make the beat go on and on_

 _I'll be your A to the Z_

 _Even if trouble's comin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it (ah)_

 _You know I got_

 _I'm your girl_

 _I'll be whatever you need_

 _Call me and I'll come runnin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it (good got it)_

 _You know I got it_

 _I'm your girl_

 _I'll be A to the Z yeah, yeah_

 _You know I got it, I good got it (eh, eh, e-eh, eh)_

 _You know I got it, I'm your girl_

 _I'll be-ee_

 _I'll come runnin'_

 _You know I got it, I good got it_

 _You know I got it, I'm your girl."_

There was a massive round of applause and Mal stood up to hug Evie. "Thank you," she whispered.

Carlos took the microphone back from Evie, "And now, we have the best man's speech." He handed the microphone to Doug.

Doug took the microphone and began speaking. "Well, I'm not going to do a song and a dance for you, Ben, if that's what you were hoping for." Everyone laughed. "I have to admit, I was surprised when he asked me to be his best man because surely he had friends he was closer to than me. Then I realised that he has so little time on his hands that he didn't really have any friends."

Everyone laughed again and Ben raised his glass at Doug, "Thanks, Doug. Real sweet of you," he said sarcastically.

Doug laughed and carried on, "In all seriousness, though, I've known Ben for a long time. Me and him used to play together when Dad dragged me along to Sidekick Council meetings and I could probably tell you a hundred stories of what we got up to. But I don't want to embarrass Ben too much, so I'm just going to pick a few. For a bit of context, Ben was very much a wild child unless he had a book in his hands. The only times he ever sat in one place was when he was reading and even then, he wasn't really sat still." Doug then preceded to tell everyone about times where their parents found Ben stuck in a tree or on top of a bookshelf or somewhere else that was incredibly high, as well as times where he knocked people over due to how fast he was running and how Doug finally discovered the trick to calm him down. "And since that day, I just stick a book in his hands if I want him to sit down or to shut up. He doesn't seem to appreciate it that much any more," he said with a mock frown that caused the place to erupt with laughter, "Unfortunately, Ben and I grew apart in high school. Then we both started dating the VK girls and were essentially forced into becoming better friends through countless double dates where the girls would only talk to each other or were running late." People laughed again and Mal and Evie blushed a little at being called out. "I have to say though, in terms of Ben and Mal, I always knew that they were going to be together forever and I'm pleased to call them my friends." He raised his glass to them, "To Ben and Mal."

"Ben and Mal," Everyone chorused, raising their own glasses.

Ben and Mal smiled and each other before closing their eyes and briefly touching foreheads.

There were a few more speeches from people, Jay being one of them as the stand-in for Father of the Bride. Oh, the stories of Mal's mischievous youth. Those definitely shocked a few people.

Finally, the speeches ended and the entertainment, provided by the guests themselves, began. There were songs, poetry, dances and a whole lot of joy. Towards the end of the night, Evie, Jay and Carlos got on stage. Mal wondered if they were going to drag her on to perform with them, but much to her shock, they started singing 'Chillin' like a Villain' and when it got to Ben's part of the song, they held the microphone out to him. He hesitated so people began chanting "Ben, Ben, Ben!" causing him to give in and take the microphone. They were all very impressed that he actually managed to lift a few things from the three VKs, especially seeing as they didn't seem to expect it. At the end of the song, the VKs stopped and posed but Ben just walked over to Mal and knelt beside her, signet ring between his fingers. Mal looked at him confused before looking down at her right index finger to see that Ben had apparently slipped it off of her finger when he got up to sing. She then laughed, cupped his face and kissed him, making the guests cheer. Ben slipped the ring back onto her finger, as he had many times before.

The night went on and after the professional photos and a small dinner had been provided, it was time to cut the cake. Ben and Mal stood side by side, Mal's hand on the knife and Ben's hand on Mal's. The photographer who they had hired took a picture just as the knife sunk into the cake. Ben and Mal cut out one piece and Mal transferred it onto a plate before picking up a fork and feeding Ben the first bite. Ben smiled and took the fork from her and fed her a bite. Mal then gave him a little smirk (this put Ben on high alert) and stuck a bit of icing on his nose.

"Whoops. Can't take me anywhere," she joked. Ben rolled his eyes and smearing some icing over her cheek.

"Now we almost match." Mal gave him an offended look before laughing.

Evie intervened before it could go any further, "Okay, you two. Enough. I swear if you ruin my hard work, Ben, you will not see your wedding night," she threatened, half laughing.

Ben put his hands up in surrender and he and Mal went to go sit down whilst the rest of the guests helped themselves to cake. Mal placed the cake between them and Ben fed her another bit of it. Mal took the fork and got a bit of cake on it. Before it could reach Ben's mouth though, she quickly changed direction and ate it herself.

"Oh, I see how it is," Ben said, leaning over her in mock intimidation. Mal giggled and leant up to kiss him, firmly. Ben happily kissed back, his hands landing on her hips. Slowly he pulled back, "You wanna get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Mal replied, "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

When they stood up, people seemed to realise what was happening and followed them outside. Evie ran up to Mal with her bouquet, which had been kept safely until the end of the day. Just before getting into the car, Mal threw it over her shoulder and turned to see it land in the hands of Jane, with a thoughtful looking Carlos standing a little ways away from the group of women.

She then hopped in the car and as they buckled in, Mal careful not to trap her dress, Ben leaned over and kissed her long and hard. "Wait till we're back at the castle," she chided, gently.

Ben pouted but then smiled and immediately began moving the car. Mal was relieved to finally release her hair so spent the whole car ride taking out the flower and the pins until her hair was tumbling down her back in pretty curls. She then located the make-up wipes she had ensured to put in the car the previous day and began wiping off her make-up. She also wiped the icing off her cheek and Ben's nose.

She had just finished when they'd reached the castle and Ben practically dragged her out. They ran through the castle, giggling like children, almost stumbling occasionally. When they reached the family wing, Ben couldn't stop himself from pulling Mal in for a deep kiss. Mal was more than happy to kiss him back and almost whined when he pulled back. She wanted to kiss him forever. Ben suddenly scooped her up in his arms, bridal style (obviously) and opened the door to their room with his foot.

The door then closed behind them, shutting out the world and allowing them to enter a world where they were nothing more than a pair of newlyweds.

 **Here you go, Kate cheese. I really enjoyed writing this one, messy as it is.**

 **Request Count Down: 3 (Getting closer)**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Sorry to hear that.**

 **kbear100: Some people find it hard to love themselves, no matter how much others love them. Tends to be a result of brokenness. It's heart-breaking, but it happens.**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I'm so pleased that you loved this story so much!**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	110. Publicly Private (Bal)

It was a lovely evening in Auradon. The breeze was gentle and the sun was slowly making its way to begin setting. Across Auradon, many ladies were getting ready for a gathering with the queen. Women were putting the last touches of their outfits together and were heading into the cars that were waiting to take them to the castle.

In the castle, the queen herself was getting ready to meet with the ladies who she was hosting. Her husband, the king, entered the room just as she slipped a thin tiara into her hair. Realising that she had yet to notice him, whilst she was searching her table for something, he sneaked up behind her and threw his arms around her shoulders, causing her to shriek and look up at him, giggling slightly.

"Hey, you," she said, as he let go, "Don't you have work to do?"

"Well, I figured that I could take a quick break to see my wife," Ben told her.

Mal laughed, "You saw me at dinner like two hours ago," she said, turning to him, "I think you have some attachment issues."

Ben chuckled, "That or I was just really bored by the paperwork you left me to do on my own," he admitted, his voice containing a playful accusing tone.

Mal smirked, "At least I had an actual excuse," she told him before leaning up and pecking his lips, "Now, I gotta go. I'll see you later." She turned back to the table and located the ring she'd been looking for and slipped it onto her left middle finger.

Ben fell into step with her as they headed to their bedroom door, "I guess I'd better get that work done," he said, with a small pout, "Have fun, yeah?"

Mal smiled, "I will," she said, waving at him as they parted ways, Ben heading to the office and Mal heading to the women's parlour, a few rooms in which only women were allowed. Each of these rooms was rather large, one with a dining table big enough to fit thirty guests and next to it was a drawing-room which had many plush chairs and couches for the women to lounge about on as they chatted the night away.

Tonight, Mal was entertaining about twenty noblewomen and the plan was to enjoy good wine, good conversation and have an overall good time. When she entered the room, she saw that most of the ladies had already arrived and she was quick to greet each one. Once they'd been properly greeted, they all took seats and the conversations began. It started with the usual pleasant things (the lovely weather they'd been having, where they'd gotten their dresses) and very quickly turned to questions about their families. Mal was not surprised when the question "How's married life treating you?" turned up for her.

"What can I say? Years of engagement paid off," Mal answered, with a laugh. The ladies all grinned and squealed a lot. One lady piped saying how she could've never waited as long as those two did as she herself was married within a few months of her engagement. The conversation then turned to wedding planning, especially as one of the ladies had recently become engaged herself.

Mal cheerfully participated in each conversation, admiring the newly engaged woman's ring along with the rest of the women and happily telling them the craziness that was involved in planning her own wedding. Despite that, she was almost relieved when the conversation shifted to work.

"Yeah, I will hopefully start working in an art gallery when I have my degree," Mal said, "Ben agreed that I should be allowed to work on my art even as queen."

"How will you be able to do both?" A lady in a lime green evening gown asked (Priscilla, Mal remembered).

Mal smiled, "I'll select two or three days a week where I'll work in the gallery and the rest of the days I'll work with Ben in the office."

"And how about looking after children?" Priscilla asked, tilting her head slightly.

Mal blushed, "Oh, I don't know. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

Just then the servants entered carrying glasses and a couple of bottles of wine. They set the trays down and began pouring the wine before handing it out to all the women, all of whom gratefully took it.

Just as Mal went to take a sip, Priscilla suddenly stopped her, "Oh, no, dear, you shouldn't be drinking," she said.

Mal looked at her a little confused, "It's just one glass and it's not like I'm driving."

Some of the ladies tittered whereas others looked worried.

"Oh, but you're not supposed to drink at all," Priscilla insisted, "It's not good for the baby."

Mal gave her a bewildered look, "The baby?"

Priscilla nodded enthusiastically, "I understand that you were probably trying to keep it quiet but I mean, you've been married for two months! We all know that a little one should be along soon. How far along are you? Three weeks? Four?"

Mal's eyes went wide as Priscilla reached out as though to touch her stomach. Quickly she shifted away, "I'm not pregnant," she said, looking around the room. There were a few ladies who looked as confused as Mal, clearly not having shared Priscilla's theory and Mal took comfort in that. "Ben and I want to wait a couple of years before having children."

"Oh, but surely you need to get pregnant as soon as possible. The king needs his heir. What if something happened to him?"

"I would take over," Mal said, "But all that is irrelevant. It's our life. If we want to wait to have children, I think we should be allowed to want to wait."

"But you two took so long to just get married," Priscilla argued, "And what if you wait too long and find that you missed your chance."

Mal stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds, "I'm twenty-one," she reminded them. "The likelihood that I would 'miss my chance of having children' is very unlikely." She took a deep breath, "And I would thank you kindly if you would keep your nose out of me and my husband's private life." She then put down the glass of wine and stood up, "I apologise for cutting this gathering short, ladies. I suddenly feel rather unable to continue to entertain. Please, feel free to stay and chat, if you so wish." And with that, she left the room, trying to calm the seething anger that was rising in her.

Letting out a frustrated yell, Mal threw open the door of her bedroom, half relieved to see it empty, half wishing Ben was there, and quickly changed into her pyjamas. She then sat there, holding her head in her hands. She couldn't possibly understand why Priscilla had thought she was pregnant. It seemed she (Priscilla) thought she (Mal) was because she was _supposed_ to be. But to Mal, that didn't make any sense because there was no other reason she should think that. Mal found herself being suddenly drawn to the full-length mirror that was on the inside of her massive walk-in closet. She pulled up the over-sized shirt she was as a pyjama top and stared at her stomach, trying to see if she gained weight, as that could be a reason that people seem to think that she was pregnant.

Ben walked into the room a little while later and was surprised to see Mal standing in front of the mirror with her shirt raised.

"You okay?" he asked, pulling off his blazer.

Mal turned to him frowning, "Have I gained weight?"

Ben shook his head, "Not as far as I can tell. Why do you ask? You're not normally concerned about your weight." He grabbed a coat hanger to hang up his blazer on.

Mal bit her lip, "I got asked when the baby is due."

Ben stared at her wide-eyed, the coat hanger dropping from his hands, "Baby?" He looked a little pale. "Wait, are you-?"

Mal rolled her eyes, "No! That's the whole point. I'm just trying to figure out what in the world makes people think I'm pregnant."

Ben looked a little relieved as he wrapped his arms around her. "People expect us to produce an heir soon after marriage because the older we get, the higher the chance that something happens to us and the less likely we're going to be able to actually get pregnant."

Mal huffed in annoyance. "Seriously? Your dad was thirty-two when he had you and your mum was twenty-eight. And that was _four years_ after they got married. We've been married for a month and we're only twenty-one!"

Ben rubbed his wife's arms and gently kissed the top of her head, "I know," he said softly, "But my parents were also under a lot of pressure. After two years without an heir, everyone just presumed my mum was barren." Ben pulled Mal a little closer, "Not to mention, we weren't even together a year when I proposed and we got married almost as soon as we were both twenty-one. I think they expect us to do everything that quick."

Mal sighed, "That's not fair. Marriage was quick because we had true love and I was ready to be your queen. Family is different."

Ben nodded, "I know. But some people don't see it like that. But I'm sure they'll understand if we wait. Those who didn't presume my mother was barren just suggested that they were spending a lot of time dealing with villains and uniting the kingdom that being a parent would've been too hard. I'm sure there will be people who realise that we're just trying to adjust to our life now, especially with all the new laws in place about the Isle folk and everything."

"The public expect too much of us," Mal muttered.

Ben nodded, "They do. But we don't have to meet their expectations. We decided that we wanted to wait. You still need to adjust to being queen for one thing. And I don't think either of us is really ready to be a parent just yet."

Mal looked at him, "I don't know about that. You would take fatherhood in your stride, so I think it's me who's not ready."

Ben shrugged, "Even so, if you're not ready, then I'm not either. We're in this together."

Mal smiled up at him, "I know. It just got so frustrating today. Priscilla kept insisting that I was pregnant. She was convinced that I was just trying to keep it out of the public. And even if that was the case, what right does she have to presume?"

"Sweetheart, I have a feeling it's not just her," Ben admitted. He then pulled out his phone and searched something out before showing her a gossip tabloid. Mal sighed at the sight of the title: _A Royal Baby?_ and under it, the strapline: _After two months of the new queen, is Auradon about to receive a new royal heir?_

Mal read the article that was grasping at straws as it speculated the idea that she may be pregnant and then she gave it back to Ben, shaking her head in annoyance. "I hate this." She turned away and stared into the full-length mirror in front of her.

"Hey, the rumours will blow over soon enough," Ben reassured her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's not just that," Mal said, "I just hate that our life isn't private. As soon as we do get pregnant, the whole country will know. The only time we ever got any privacy at all from the media is when we went on our honeymoon and that was because we didn't even tell our friends where we going, let alone anyone else."

Ben sighed sadly, "I'm sorry," he said, "I wish I could give you a more peaceful life without the cameras and the papers."

"I know," Mal rested her head on Ben's chest, "And I wouldn't trade our life for anything. I just don't like people thinking my life has anything to do with them."

Ben kissed her forehead, "Don't let it get to you. It's just you and me, now, okay?" Mal smiled at that. "So, let's turn off our phones and lock our door. We'll just stay in here, away from the rest of the world until we have to leave."

Mal laughed, "Yeah, okay."

And so that's what they did. And two months later, after the initial freak out followed by joy, Mal looked Ben in the eye and said: "Well, I guess we're giving the people what they want."

 **Hey Guest (You didn't leave a name so if this request was yours, please claim it so I know), hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Also, I have seen D3 so basically anything that happened in there will officially become cannon in the next round of requests (save very few references here and there that hopefully won't spoil anything). LOVED THAT MOVIE SO MUCH! (If anyone wants to fangirl over it with me, PM me on here or on my Instagram with the same name. I love fangirling alongside people)**

 **Also, from now on, I will be referring to Janelos as Jarlos (those of you who have watched D3 will know why) so if a chapter comes up and it's labelled Jarlos, just know that it's Janelos.**

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 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	111. Ready for a Little More (Bal)

With the sun shining overhead, the citizens of Auradon were enjoying the afternoon. A certain piece of gossip regarding a famous fashion designer had spread around and there was much excitement for those who followed her work and her life. Evie from Evie's 4 Hearts had given birth. She hadn't released this information to the public until the baby was a week old but everyone was excited when they heard. However, there were those few who knew from the second the baby had been born. One of those people was the queen of Auradon herself, who was now sitting in Evie's nursery as her best friend cooed over her little son.

"I can't believe he's real," Evie was saying, watching her boy as he slept in his cot. "I'm a mom."

Mal laughed and got up to hug her friend's side, "Yes, you are. And you're going to be the best mom that Charlie could ever hope for."

Evie nodded, smiling a little bigger, tears filling her eyes "I know. Oh, I just can't believe he's mine."

Mal squeezed her friend a little tighter and peered into her nephew's (as she'd taken to calling him) cot.

As she stared at his sleeping face, she was reminded of when she was in Evie's position three years ago, staring at the little bundle of joy that had arrived in her and Ben's life and not knowing how to express the overwhelming joy she felt just by looking at her. Now, that little of bundle of joy was a much bigger bundle of energy, who started running the moment she could walk, who had started talking her parents' ears off from the moment that she could and who loved nothing more than when her parents played with her. But despite loving Lia with every bit of herself, as Mal looked at baby Charlie, she couldn't help but miss this. Seeing something so beautiful that _they made_ and not knowing who they're going to be but not caring because they're here and they're theirs.

The two women stood there for a while, both admiring the sleeping baby. Soon enough, they heard the nursery door open and Doug walked in, smiling at the ladies. "Hey," he half-whispered, heading over to Evie and kissing the side of her head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder; Mal removed her arm from Evie's waist. "How's my little boy?" Doug asked.

Evie leaned her head on his shoulder, "Just perfect," she said, sighing softly. Mal smiled at her friends before quickly checking the time.

"Hey, I'd better get home. I promised Lia that I'd be home by dinner," she said, grabbing her handbag from where she'd put it down by the rocking chair.

Evie glanced over at her and smiled, "Okay. See you later, M."

"See you later, E." And with that, Mal left the room, allowing the two new parents to bask in their happiness together at this new addition to their life.

As she made her way through the castle, she called her driver to let him know that she was ready to go home. The car was waiting outside the moment she stepped out the entrance so she got in the car, smiling appreciatively at the driver. She then turned her head and stared out the window, her thoughts still back in the nursery.

Suddenly, she was home and so she thanked the driver before getting up and heading inside. She was surprised that she wasn't attacked the moment she entered the family room but one glance outside when she entered her bedroom told her why. Lia and Ben were running around in the grounds outside and Lia's giggles were carried up to Mal's ears, making her smile like someone was playing her favourite song. She leaned out the window to watch her family better. Ben suddenly scooped Lia up in his arms and holding her upside down, making Lia screech with laughter. Mal could hear Ben chuckling as well and could see his massive grin.

"Come on, Bear," he said, as he started to walk, still holding Lia upside down, "Mommy should be home soon."

Lia just kept laughing, "Daddy!" she playfully whined between her giggles, "Put me down!" Ben chuckled and set his daughter upright on the ground. "Race you!" Lia took off running.

"Hey, you little cheater!" Ben laughed, running after her. He picked her up again and put her over his shoulder, which Lia seemed to think was brilliant as she squealed in delight. Making sure that he was holding her legs securely, Ben began to walk back into the castle. Mal rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shut the window. When she heard footsteps coming down the hall, Mal exited her room to see Ben, still holding Lia over his shoulder.

"Ah, Mal! You're home," he exclaimed, his grin widening, "I found dinner, see?" He shrugged the shoulder that Lia was on, causing her to jump and giggle.

"Daddy! I'm not dinner, I'm a girl!"

Ben looked around, "Now, who said that?"

Mal laughed, "Benny dear, what did I tell you about getting talking dinner? It puts up far too much of a fight!"

Ben grinned at her, "Well, I imagine a strong dragon like you can hold them down."

Mal walked over to Ben and took Lia from him. "Rawr!" Lia yelled, at her mother, causing Mal to pretend to almost drop her.

"Well, you've gotten us a little bear," Mal said. Lia roared again, making her parents laugh again. "Oh, she's too cute to eat. Let's go get some different dinner instead." Mal put Lia down and she immediately latched onto Mal's hand.

"Hi, Mommy!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, Baby Bear," Mal replied, smiling down at her daughter, "Were you good for Daddy?"

Lia nodded, grinning brightly. Mal grinned back and squeezed her hand before turning to Ben, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"She was great," Ben replied, coming over and kissing her gently, "Hey."

"Hey," Mal replied, smiling up at him.

"Come on!" Lia began tugging on Mal's hand, making both Ben and Mal laugh.

The three of them headed down to the dining room and sat together to eat dinner prepared for them by their cook. Lia chatted to them throughout most of the meal and they listened to everything she had to say as well as patiently answering every question she had patiently. Occasionally as she listened, Mal's thoughts went back to what she was thinking about in the nursery in Evie's castle.

After dinner, Lia practically dragged her parents to the playroom where they tossed a ball back and forth between them as well as did a couple of puzzles and played with stuffed animals. Eventually, Lia's bedtime rolled around and Ben helped her into her pyjamas and Mal helped her with her teeth. Finally, she was tucked up into bed and Ben sat with a storybook in hand (he was much better at voices than Mal). Mal watched from the doorway, smiling as her husband read the story and her daughter drifted off to sleep. Ben gave Lia a gentle kiss on the head, Mal entering to do the same, and the two of them headed out.

Mal tidied away the playroom before heading to her room and sitting on the couch next to her husband, who already had a book out. Mal smiled at him and began scrolling through her phone, laughing a little at the many photos Evie had put up about baby Charlie, whom she could not be prouder of, it seemed. After a while, she got bored with her phone and turned on the TV, deciding to watch the news for a bit to see if there was anything interesting to watch. She loved it when the news anchors reported on the good deeds that were happening around Auradon, making her feel proud to be ruling over such a kingdom. When the news finished, Mal yawned and kissed Ben's cheek. Ben looked up from his book before carefully bookmarking it and closing it.

The two of them got ready for bed and then crawled in, lying facing each other.

"You okay?" Ben asked, softly moving a piece of Mal's hair out of her face with his finger.

Mal looked over at him as whatever deep thought she was in slipped away, "Hmm?"

"Are you okay?" he asked again, "You've seemed a bit out of it this evening," he said, concerned.

Mal blinked a few times before smiling, "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I think."

Ben studied her face a bit before gently kissing her. "Get some sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Mal turned over and lay with her back to Ben who wrapped his arm around her middle before drifting off to sleep.

Mal found she couldn't sleep, her mind still whirring before finally, after about an hour or so of not being able to sleep, she turned over and shook Ben's shoulder.

"Ben," she whispered.

Ben didn't stir.

"Ben," she said in her normal volume, shaking him slightly harder.

Ben let a small grunt and opened an eye, "What's wrong?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he looked at her.

"I want another one," she told him, her hands going to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Another what?" He asked, feeling slightly disorientated.

"Another baby."

This woke him up fully, "Uh, what?"

"I want another baby," she repeated.

Ben propped himself up on his elbow, looking at her with a thoughtful expression, "You sure? This isn't just baby fever because you just visited baby Charlie?"

Mal nodded, raising herself so that she was also holding herself up with her elbow. "I'm sure. I've been thinking about it for a while. Didn't you ever wish you had a sibling when you were younger?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah, I guess so."

"And don't you think Lia would love to be able to be a big sister?"

"Of course," Ben replied, "But are you sure? You were hesitant about having Lia in the first place."

Mal rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, Lia wasn't exactly planned. Come on, you've always said you wanted more than one kid. Now I do, too."

Ben grinned, "Really?"

"Really," Mal confirmed.

"Well then, I'd love to have another baby with you," he said, "I've always dreamed of several little Mal's running around the castle."

"Who says it's going to be another girl?" Mal replied. Ben rolled onto his back, pulling Mal on top of him in the process, "It could be a little boy."

Ben smiled, "Well, either is fine by me. But I have a feeling that it's going to be another girl."

Mal giggled at the ridiculousness of Ben's statement. She wasn't even pregnant yet and he had a feeling about what gender the baby would be. "If you say so" She then leaned and kissed him, placing her hands on his chest.

A few months later, after throwing away yet another negative pregnancy test, Mal stepped into her bedroom only for the door to fly open and Evie to fling herself into Mal's arms.

"Woah, okay, hi," Mal said, shocked. She suddenly realised that Evie had begun crying, "E? What's the matter?"

Evie pulled back, wiping away the make-up that was running down her face, "Oh, Mal, I feel so stupid."

"What's happened?" Mal asked, cupping her face in her hand.

Evie looked down at her hands, "Mal, I'm pregnant."

Mal stood and blinked at her for a few seconds, "Wait, what? But Charlie is like four months old."

Evie nodded, tearfully, "I know."

Mal quickly led Evie to the couch and sat her down. "Are you sure?"

Evie nodded, "I've just come from the doctors. He estimated that baby is due on Charlie's first birthday." She looked down at her hands before looking back up at Mal, "Mal, I can't have another baby. It's too soon. But I don't want to get rid of it. What do I do?" she wailed.

Mal was at a loss, "I don't know, E. Does Doug know?"

Evie shook her head, "I came straight here after finding out. I'm scared, M."

Mal pulled Evie in for a hug, "I know. I know. Why don't you go home, okay? Talk to Doug. The two of you can figure it out together like you're supposed to."

Evie nodded, "Okay. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for just barging in here."

Mal rubbed Evie's arm, "Hey, it's okay. I'm here for you, always."

Evie gave her a watery smile, "Thanks, Mal."

Nodding, Mal smiled back at Evie but as she looked at her, she suddenly snorted with laughter, shocking Evie.

"What's so funny?" Evie demanded, looking offended.

"I'm sorry, E," Mal said, trying to hold in the laughter that wanted to burst out, "I just wouldn't have guessed that you would be pregnant with your second before I was."

Evie narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

Mal gave her a bit of a shy smile, "Ben and I are trying for another baby."

Evie gasped with delight, "Really? Oh, Mal, that's wonderful! Our babies will grow up together!"

"Woah, slow down there, girl. I'm not pregnant yet," Mal told her, "But hopefully soon."

Evie hugged Mal, "I'm so happy for you guys, though!"

Mal laughed and pulled away, "Okay. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and get you home, okay?"

Evie nodded and allowed Mal to help her with her make-up. Mal then took Evie home personally and made sure she was sat down with Doug before she left so that Evie could tell her husband the news.

Another month passed and found Mal realising she was a week overdue. Ben had already gone off to the office, leaving Mal as she was supposed to be working in the art gallery that day. Quickly, she got up out of bed and found another two pregnancy tests. Mal threw away the tests when the results came back and got ready for work. She was definitely going to want to be in the studio today.

That evening, after the bedtime routine, Ben and Mal curled up together on the couch in their room. "And then there were three," Mal sighed with relief as she tucked her feet under her.

Ben gave an amused frown, "Do you have a secret husband in here that I didn't know about?" he asked.

Mal looked up at him and just grinned, "Nope."

"Then what did you-" Realisation dawned on Ben's face, "Wait, you're pregnant?"

Mal grinned even brighter, "Yeah. I went to the doctor's to double-check. Two weeks along."

Ben let out a laugh of joy and pulled Mal into his arms, "We're having another baby."

"We're having another baby," Mal confirmed. Ben pulled back and then brought Mal's face up for a long kiss.

They waited until the twelve-week mark to tell people, including Lia, who was overjoyed that she was going to get a little sister, ("Or brother," Mal told her but she wouldn't hear it).

Evie looked equally excited, "Oh, our babies are going to be so close in age!" She exclaimed excitedly, one hand on her just showing pregnant belly.

After telling their friends and family, the press found out quite quickly and people started speculating what would happen if the baby was a boy – would Lia still be next in line for the throne or would it be the new prince? - but Mal and Ben couldn't care less. Their family was about to grow a bit bigger and they couldn't be happier about it.

 **Guest.I, here you go! We're finally down to your requests! I enjoyed this one. I hope you did too.**

 **Request Count Down: 1 (AHHHHH!)**

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 **DragonEmperor999: Nice idea but the requests still aren't open. But thanks!**

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 **Agata: I'm so happy you like it so much. Yassss, the Bal moments were great! And yeah, Ben's really handsome with a beard.**

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 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	112. And Then There Were Four (Bal)

When the sun rose on New Year's Eve, there was an excitement in the air that buzzed through the country like electricity. People everywhere were doing last-minute shopping and making last-minute preparations for whatever party they would be going to that night. The town was still decked out in Christmas decorations as those often didn't come down until after the new year, and so there was still the lingering feelings of joy brought on by the sight of them.

In Castle Beast, a young woman stood by the windows in her bedroom, her hands resting on her swollen belly as she stared out of the window, down at the gardens below. She heard her husband stir behind her and looked over her shoulder as he got out of bed and slipped his arms around her, resting his hands on hers. "Hey," he said, his voice thick with sleep.

"Hey," Mal replied, leaning against him, "Did I wake you?"

Ben shook his head, "No. My alarm goes off in like ten minutes. I think my body was trying to beat it to the punch." Mal let out a small laugh. "Baby not letting you sleep?"

Mal shook her head, "Nope. Which I think is rude. They're already going to keep us up all hours of the night soon. The least they could do is let me sleep the months before that."

Ben laughed, "At least when she's here, I'll be able to help you. You won't be the only one up all the time."

Mal hummed in agreement as she continued to look out the window. Her eyes travelled all over the castle grounds, many emotions rising in her as she stared at the places where she and Ben had spent many an hour together, where they played with their daughter or had family picnics or had just laid under the stars, just the two of them. Tears of happiness sprung to her eyes as she thought about how much she loved her family and how happy she was that she was going to bring another child into the world. And then other thoughts filled her head. Ones that filled her with fear and dread, ones that, no matter how many times Ben reassured her, would not go away.

"What if I don't love them as much as I love Lia?" The words slipped out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. She heard Ben sigh behind her, as they'd had this conversation before. "Or worse, what if I love them more and don't love Lia as much? I couldn't do that to them."

Ben gently turned her around, "Look at me," he demanded gently as Mal's eyes were downcast. She obeyed and lifted her eyes to his. His were so soft and full of love, yet had a fiery determination in them that she saw whenever he spoke about something he was passionate about. "You're not going to love either of them more than the other. You're going to love them differently, in completely unique ways but you will not love one more than the other." Ben said, cupping her face in his hands, "Your heart is so big and it's only going to grow bigger. You don't need to lose some love to make room for the love you're going to have for the new baby. You're not going to love Lia any less and you're not going to love our new child any less than you love Lia. Okay?"

Mal nodded, having heard the same things time and time again, knowing he was right. Mal always believed his words when he stared into her eyes, as there was never a hint of dishonesty or deceit in his face. She hated the doubts that would creep into her head and wished that she could magic them away or something. For now, though, she would just rely on her husband's words of comfort because he always seemed to know exactly what to say.

"Okay," she finally replied. She raised her hand and ran it through his hair, playing with the strands as her fingers grazed over them. Ben smiled down at her and kissed her forehead, his hands moving from her face to the bump where their second child was.

"You'll see when she's born," he told her.

Mal let out a small laugh, "You're always insistent that it's a girl."

Ben shrugged, "I was right last time, wasn't I?"

Mal rolled her eyes, "Speaking of, I'd better get her up for breakfast." Mal went to move around Ben to head to the door but he stepped in front of her.

"No, don't worry, I've got her," he said, "You shouldn't be on your feet as much as you are."

Mal raised an eyebrow at him, "Ben, I'm not crippled, I'm pregnant. Move so that I can be a mother to my child."

Ben saw the scary look in her eye, knowing they were on the verge of glowing so he quickly stepped aside and allowed her to head to their daughter's bedroom. He gave her a two-second head start and then began walking behind her. As they went, Mal let out a sudden hiss of pain and stopped. Ben quickly ran the last few steps over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly. "Is it the baby?"

Mal waved him away, "I'm fine." Then she kept walking to Lia's bedroom and carefully opened the door. "Hey, Baby Bear. Time to get up!" she said as she flicked on the lights.

Lia sat up, rubbing her eyes, "Is my baby sister here yet?" she asked, as she had every morning since she found out that Mal was pregnant.

"No, not yet. And it might be a brother," Mal reminded her, as she got out of bed.

Lia shook her head, "No, it's going to be a sister. I wished really hard on a star for it."

Mal laughed, "Okay, if you say so." Lia then grabbed her hand and Ben's hand and began leading them to the dining room. "Woah, slow down there, Baby Bear. Mommy can't walk as fast as she used to. I'm carrying your little sibling."

Lia smiled sheepishly at them and slowed down a bit. "Why isn't my sister here yet?" she asked, looking up at Mal.

"She'll come when she's ready," Mal informed her, "She just doesn't seem to be ready yet."

Lia looked at her mother's stomach and leaned into it, whispering loudly, "Be ready soon! I want to play with you."

Ben and Mal laughed. Ben ruffled Lia's hair. "Soon, Bear. You just gotta be patient."

Lia pouted, "But I've waited for years and years and years!" Lia complained.

"Baby is due soon," Mal told her, "And you've only waited a few months. Not even a year."

Lia pouted. "Well, I hope she comes today."

Mal sighed and muttered, "You and me both." It wasn't loud enough for Lia to hear but Ben heard it and leaned over, kissing Mal's cheek gently, a silent reassurance.

Throughout breakfast, Ben noticed Mal wince a few times before seemingly trying to breathe through some kind of pain. After they'd finished, whilst Lia ran off to go play with her toys, Ben pulled Mal aside. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her, worriedly.

"The pains are every eight minutes," Mal told him, "I think I'm having contractions."

Alarm bells began ringing in Ben's head and he stood still in shock for a few seconds before suddenly beginning to move, "Contractions?" he asked, grasping her arms, "As in the baby's coming?"

Mal nodded, "Yeah, I think the baby's coming."

"Okay, okay, uh..." Ben looked around seemingly lost and unsure.

"The bags are in our room," Mal informed him calmly. "You go get them, I'll head to the car. Ring your mom so that she can come to look after Lia."

Ben nodded frantically, "Right, bags, our room. I'll just uh..."

"Go?" Mal suggested.

"Right, right." His legs finally seemed to want to obey him and he ran to get the bags. Mal rolled her eyes and slowly headed down to the entrance, breathing through the contraction that hit her on her way down the stairs. As soon as she was by the door, Ben was there at her side, carrying her bags and a leather jacket of hers.

"Have you rung your mother?" Mal asked, trying to remain calm and not blow up at her husband for acting a bit ridiculous. She suspected that she'd find it funny if it weren't for the fact that second births happen much faster than first ones and she had a feeling that they would be running out of time soon if he didn't get his act together.

Ben pulled out his phone and dialled Belle's number whilst trying to help Mal into her leather jacket (as she was still in her pyjamas so it would be far too cold without one). Belle picked up on the third ring.

"Mom, Mal's gone into labour. We're heading to the hospital now." There was a brief pause, "No, I haven't told her. Could you tell her when you see her? Thanks, love you too." He hung up and picked up the bags he'd set on the ground, "Mom will explain everything to Lia and she'll be here in five minutes. A servant is looking after her right now."

Mal nodded then groaned as another contraction came, "Great. Get me to a hospital. Now."

Ben didn't hesitate to agree and quickly got Mal and all their stuff into the car. As soon as he was satisfied that they had everything, Ben drove to the private entrance in the hospital nearby. Ben then grabbed the bags and guided Mal inside.

"Every six minutes," Mal informed him as the doors opened automatically.

Ben nodded and headed over to the reception desk and told the lady what was going on. Quickly a wheelchair was located and Mal was wheeled into a room where they were preparing for delivery.

Two hours later, Mal gripped onto Ben's hand and pressed her lips together, groaning as she pushed.

"That's it, you're doing great!" The midwife informed her, "The head is born. Just one last push and Baby will be here." Mal panted for a few seconds before pushing again, her face contorted in concentration and pain.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of a cry. Mal laughed and sighed with relief as she fell back against the pillows that were propped up behind her. Ben laughed as well and kissed her hands. "You brilliant, brilliant woman," he whispered to her, stroking her hand.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties," the midwife said looking up at them, "You have another daughter."

"It's a girl?" Mal asked, grinning brightly. Ben's smile grew even wider as well and his eyes shone as he watched the midwife bundle up their daughter and put her in Mal's arms.

Tears slipped out of Mal's face as the baby was put in her arms, "Oh, she's perfect," she said, looking at her youngest child, "Hi, little one. I'm your mommy. Yeah, I am." She giggled as she traced a finger over the crying child's face. She then leaned her arms towards Ben, "Hold her," she told him.

Ben reached out and took the child from her arms, "Hey, baby girl. I'm your daddy," he told her. Immediately, the little girl stopped crying. Both Ben and Mal laughed at this.

"She's already a daddy's girl," Mal said, grinning at her husband.

"I told you she'd be a girl," Ben replied, playfully smirking at Mal. Mal laughed again and gently leaned her head on Ben's arm.

"I guess you were right. Lia will be pleased." Mal stared at her for a while, "What are we going to call her?"

"Well, we want a normal middle name," Ben commented, making Mal laugh again. "So, I was thinking Elizabeth as a middle name."

"I like it," Mal said, "But what about a first name?"

They both looked at their baby, trying to see what name they think fit her. "Macy," Ben said, finally. "She looks like a Macy to me."

Mal nodded in agreement. "She does. But I don't like the usual spelling of Macy," she said.

Ben hummed looking at their newborn, "You're right. She needs something a bit more unique."

Mal looked lost in thought for a second before saying, "M-A-E-S-I," she spelt, "Maesi."

Ben tilted his head at Mal, smiling, "I like it. Maesi Elizabeth."

"Princess Maesi Elizabeth," Mal corrected. "It's perfect."

Ben nodded, as he stared at little Maesi, "Just like her." Ben turned his head to Mal, "Just like you."

Mal blushed and tears sprang to her eyes again, "Ugh, I just had a baby, don't make me cry," she joked, wiping her eyes. Ben laughed and then handed the baby to the midwife as she requested to clean little Maesi up.

A few hours later, Mal woke up from a nap to see Ben holding Maesi and softly talking to her. He appeared to have changed out of the pyjamas he was in when he brought Mal to the hospital and into a fresh set of clothes, which they'd packed into the bag just in case. Maesi was wrapped up in a pink blanket and had a little pink hat on her head.

"She opened her eyes," Ben said, looking at Mal, "Just after you fell asleep."

Mal sat up and held her hands out for her baby. Ben put Maesi in her arms and Mal looked to see wide eyes staring at her, one icy green, much like her own, and the other icy blue. Mal smiled at her. "She's beautiful."

Ben nodded in agreement. "She really is." They sat there for a few seconds before Ben spoke up again. "You ready for visitors?" he asked, looking at the tired look on Mal's face.

Mal nodded, "Yeah. It's about time Maesi-Beth met her family."

Ben smiled at the little nickname Mal gave their youngest daughter before texting his mom to tell her that Mal was ready for visitors. A few minutes later, Belle, Adam and Lia all came in excitedly.

"Oh, let me see the little one!" Belle exclaimed with glee. Mal handed her over to Belle and watched as her mother-in-law cooed gently over the baby. "She's so beautiful. She looks just like you, Mal." Mal blushed a little but smiled. Lia bounced onto the bed next to her mom and curled up next to her.

"Can I hold the baby?" she asked.

Mal nodded, "Yes, but you have to sit here with me." Lia agreed and held out her arms for her new baby sister. Belle laid the baby carefully in Lia's arms and Mal helped to support the newborn as Lia was still too little to do it by herself.

"What's her name?" Adam asked, looking lovingly at his two granddaughters.

"Maesi Elizabeth," Ben told him.

"Maesi Elizabeth," Adam repeated, "A good, strong name."

"Like her mother," Ben replied.

Mal looked up at him, tears in her eyes again. "Ben," she complained lightly, "Stop making me feel emotional."

They all laughed and then Belle pulled a camera out of her bag. "Can I get a picture?"

Mal knew that her hair was still a mess and that she wasn't wearing make-up and that she probably looked exhausted but even so, she still said yes without hesitation. Lia was sat on her lap with the baby in her arms, Mal with her arms around Lia, supporting Maesi, and Ben sat next to Mal, his hands on her shoulders and his eyes unable to leave his newborn's face.

Soon, others arrived. Carlos and Jane brought congratulations balloons and little presents for Maesi, Jay and Lonnie made promises of teaching the girl how to defend herself when she was old enough and Doug congratulated Ben whilst Evie gushed over Maesi and then fussed over Mal's appearance, promising to help her be camera ready when she was going to go home. Maesi and Mal were to stay in the hospital overnight but Ben had to take Lia home around dinner time, leaving Mal alone with the baby and with promises of returning as soon as he could.

That night, just before laying her head down to sleep herself, Mal looked into the cot where Maesi slept and smiled. "I love you," she whispered, telling her daughter the words that she knew she would be repeating to her every day of her life, "So much. And you're going to have so much love from me, your daddy, your big sister and everyone else in our lives that you won't know what to do with it all."

She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. Whilst many may see another heir to the throne, all Mal saw was that her family had grown a little bigger and her heart right along with it.

 **Here it is, Guest.I. I really hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Request Count Down: 0 (*runs for cover*)**

 **OKAY, PEOPLE, LISTEN UP! Yes, the requests are open but please remember, I'm only human. Please don't go too crazy.**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Well, you no longer have to!**

 **kbear100: Thanks and I'm looking forward to seeing it.**

 **Eli201: (110) Well, I'm glad I came through again :) (111) And now she's here! I hope you enjoyed this.**

 **Guest.I: (111) Yay, so happy you liked it! (110) I agree, it is disrespectful, but as you said, with Ben there, she'll feel supported and be okay.**

 **Darthrevan112: I have no requests at the moment, so I'm not sure. Soon, hopefully. I love them too.**

 **Kate cheese: I love her character too!**

 **Guest: Of course I would change it. I mean, it's now cannon that it's Jarlos, right? XD**

 **iDayvioni: Awww, thank you!**

 **ilovefriiday: Sorry, no. I'm quite private about my irl self so no face reveal, I'm afraid.**

 **Fangirl5323: The requests are now open but because of the rules that I've set for this book, is it okay if I ask you to request it again? That way all my requests are relatively in the same place and I can keep on top of it.**

 **Ishy555: (4) I'm happy you did! (7) I'm glad! (8) Thanks! (11) Awww, thank you! (12) I'm pleased to hear that! (13) That's good to know! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	113. Can I Call You Dad? (Bal Hades)

The sun was just beginning to set in Auradon and many citizens were excitedly talking about the barrier coming down. The future queen had made this her first official act as queen and many of the villains and heroes had come and celebrated alongside her. Some people were not sure if this was a good idea for fear of those who did not seem as though they wanted to change, for example, Maleficent. But they chose to trust their king and queen.

Word was also quickly spread that the Core Four had crossed over the bridge and had gone to visit their parents (although no one was sure who Mal was visiting). The king was waiting by the bridge when they returned as the sun had just begun dipping behind the horizon. He put his arm around his fiancée as soon as she was close enough and the two of them bid their friends goodbye before heading to the castle. Mal had decided to stay at Castle Beast with her father overnight before he would go back and continue to live on the Isle.

As they walked, Ben looked over at Mal with an expression that told her that something had just dawned on him. "You're not even a little bit human, are you?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

Mal thought about for a second before laughing, "You're right. I'm half-faerie, half-god." She paused and searched his face, "Is that a deal-breaker?"

Ben shook his head, "Absolutely not. I mean, technically, I'm part beast."

Mal raised an eyebrow, "Both of your parents are human. You and your dad just happened to be cursed."

"Well, I had the roar before the curse so there must still be something in our DNA that's part beast."

Mal rolled her eyes to the sky, "Goodness help our future children," she muttered.

Ben just smirked at her and the two of them walked in silence for a while, their hands moving so that they were clasped together by their side.

"How long have you known that your father was Hades?" Ben asked after a while, finally voicing the question he'd been pondering for a while, "You told me that your father was just some mortal that your mother said was weak."

Mal nodded, "That's what she told me for a long time. I found out who he was not long before I came to Auradon but I was in denial that someone as powerful as Hades could possibly be as cowardly as my dad was for running so...I lied. I pretended that he wasn't my father because he never was one to me. And I'm sorry I lied to you about that. I guess I never thought it would come up again."

Ben sighed and tugged on Mal's hand to bring her a little closer. "I think I understand. Although, I kinda wish I'd known. It might've given me more time to prepare. Your dad scares me."

Mal threw her head back as she laughed, "He threatened you when I had my back turned, didn't he? I thought I felt your grip loosen a little."

Ben blushed and gently nudged her with his shoulder, "He's a god. Forgive me for being a bit nervous around him."

"Family dinners should be fun," Mal commented randomly, "Your dad and mine. They get on like a house on fire."

Ben laughed, "Yeah, the question is who will be the one to actually set the house on fire?"

Mal snorted and hugged his waist. "I guess we'll find out tonight."

"No, Dad and Mom have gone for the night. I think they need some time together to get through the idea that all these villains are coming back into their lives."

Mal chewed her lip, "We made the right decision, didn't we?" she asked, looking at Ben, "I can't help but think about the villains who may not use this second chance."

"There are still dungeons that we can keep them in until we've built a prison," Ben said, "We'll make it a rehabilitation centre of sorts. No one will be locked up like they were on the Isle again."

"Unless they absolutely have to be," Mal said. Ben nodded in agreement.

The two of them continued their way to the castle in silence. Mal kept an arm around his waist and Ben kept an arm around her shoulders. They were greeted by many citizens, as well as a few reporters who they dodged, and looked around at the city that was their home. Mal found it strange that this kingdom was almost hers and that she would rule it side by side with Ben. Every part of the city that they now walked through was hers to rule and the thought didn't make her want to run or come up with some evil scheme to make the people suffer. It made her determined to do whatever was in her power to keep this place safe from those who wished to harm it. Including her mother, if the occasion called for it again.

When they arrived at the castle, Hades was stood outside, his arms crossed and his blue hair flaming. "Took you guys long enough. These guards don't want to let me in."

Ben looked over at the guards by the door, "Stand down. As my future father-in-law, Hades is to be welcomed here as a friend, not a foe."

The guards moved to the side with a nod of their head at Ben but it didn't stop them from warily eyeing Hades as he walked into the castle, Mal and Ben right behind him. Ben let go of Mal so that he could walk a pace ahead of Hades and show him around. After showing him to the room where he'd be staying the night, Ben led Hades to the dining room where dinner had been prepared. They sat down, Mal having to direct Hades to sit at Ben's left whilst she sat at his right. She also had to stop him from picking up his fork before Ben had. Although it was just the three of them and etiquette wasn't as important, Mal wanted his dad to learn the etiquette soon as he was the father of the future queen and needed to understand the dos and don'ts.

At some time during the meal, Hades looked up at Mal with a soft smile, "So, the wedding. Any plans for it yet?"

Mal laughed, "Dad, we've been engaged a week. Give us some room to breathe. You're worse than Evie and Belle."

Hades smiled, "So, does that mean the role of Father of the Bride is still available?"

Mal furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

Hades tilted his head slightly, "Well, Father of the Bride gives a speech and gives the bride away, of course."

Mal's smile dropped off of her face and she glanced at Ben who shrugged at her as if to say that what Hades said was true.

"Um, I was actually going to ask Jay to do those things," she said, laying her fork down. She then looked Hades in his eyes to see them go hard.

"Jay? As in Jafar's kid? You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"Dad, Jay has been there for me for as long as I can remember. He's one of my best friends."

Hades scoffed, "But I'm your father. Surely I have the right to-"

"The right?" Mal suddenly exclaimed, "What right could you possibly have to any part of my life?" Hades looked taken aback, "You abandoned me for sixteen years. I had no idea who you even were for the majority of my life. You never tried to talk to me whilst we were on the Isle. I spent most of my life with no idea that I had a father and no idea that I had a brother!" Ben's eyes went wide as he stared at Mal in shock at this news. Mal ignored him and carried on, "You claim that if you stuck around, I would've been softer, but Hadie turned out okay, didn't he? So no, you don't have any right to my life because you chose to walk out of it and then went on and had another kid who you raised."

"Hadie? That's what you're angry about? The fact that I had another kid?" Hades said, looking annoyed.

"No. It's not about the fact that you had another kid. It's the fact that you raised that kid and abandoned me. So if I wasn't good enough for you when I was a baby, then you can't suddenly come into my life and try to claim roles in my adulthood. Jay will act as Father of the Bride because he was there for me when you weren't."

The silence that came after was deafening. After a few seconds, Hades cleared his throat. "Well, I guess that we're done here then."

Mal sighed, "Dad, don't leave. Please. Just because I don't want you to give me away at my wedding doesn't mean I don't want you in my life." She stretched her hand across the table, "I still need my dad."

Hades stared at her hand for a few seconds before taking it and squeezing it, nodding, "And you're right. I've only just re-entered your life. I'm sure Jay will be more than adequate."

Mal smiled at him, "Thank you for understanding."

Once Hades let go of Mal's hand, Ben cleared his throat softly and turned to Mal, "You, uh, you have a brother too?"

Mal laughed, "Yeah, I forgot to mention that. That's actually why I joined the others when we went to the Isle. I mean, I was mostly there to support them, but I was also going to visit Hadie as he probably didn't realise that our dad was over here."

"I guess that's someone else we'll add to the ever-growing list of guests," Ben said with a smile, "And maybe we could schedule a dinner with him? I wouldn't mind getting to know him."

"You and me both," Mal replied.

"He's become softer since you left," Hades commented, "Apparently he was part of that Anti-Heroes club I was told about."

Mal nodded, "Yeah, I know. That's where I met him. And soft isn't a bad thing over here, you know. Ben's a big softie."

Ben gave Mal a look, "Wow," he said, "I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult."

Mal just smirked at him and turned back to her father. Hades chuckled lightly. "It might be nice," he said, "To have a son who wasn't raised to be cruel. Hadie will need some time to remember right from wrong. As will I."

Ben's eyes widened a little, "Son?"

"In-law," Hades added, shooting Ben a small warning glare.

Mal rolled her eyes at the boys and smiled over at Ben who grinned back at her. She couldn't believe that she was going to marry him. It made her so happy that she felt as though she may burst. And, somehow, knowing that her father and brother were going to be there made her so much happier because even if they weren't going to play important parts in the wedding, they weren't going to miss another thing that was so important to her.

Once dinner was done, Mal and Ben walked Hades to his room, at his request. Mal hung on to his arm and Ben stood on his other side. When they got to his room, Mal leaned up and hugged him. Hades hugged her back and smiled softly. Once they parted, he held out a hand and gave Ben a firm handshake.

"I think you're going to make a good son-in-law," Hades complimented, before letting go of his hand.

Ben smiled, "So, uh, does this mean I can call you Dad?" The glare Hades sent him made Ben duck his head away whilst Mal just laughed and hugged her fiancé. Mal had a feeling that despite the glares and Ben's obvious nervousness around her father, there was a bond forming there. She bet that Ben would be calling Hades "Dad" in no time.

 **And we kick this round of requests off with this little nugget suggested by xez2003. I hope I came through :)**

 **Request Count Down: 56 (...why? Just why?)**

 **REQUESTS ARE NOW CLOSED**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **xez2003: Aw, I'm so happy you liked it! I tried to make this one fluffy but you know, angst happened, but I then I made it fluffy again, so I hope I did good :)**

 **MariaBarbara: I'm so glad you liked them! I'm looking forward to writing yours. And they happen to be up next so keep an eye out! Also, your last request will be combined with someone else's request because it is essentially the same request. I hope you don't mind :)**

 **Agata: Aww, thank you! And I love the look of these oneshots :) Your Hades request will be combined with someone else's if that's okay, because it's basically the same request.**

 **Randomn: Heyy. I look forward to writing these! Although, there is a chance I may not do the second one due what I'm comfortable writing so if I end up deciding not to, I'm sorry. I've put it on the list of oneshots to do, but we'll see how it works out.**

 **Owllover34: These look like so much fun! Can you leave a profile for Jax on my OCs book? That way I can get a good idea of who I'm writing :)**

 **RockThat: These look good. Definitely looking forward to writing them.**

 **PotatoGirl: Love these! Looking forward to writing them!**

 **MelMartinezXOX: Sounds hillarious! I will enjoy writing it when the time comes :)**

 **Fangirl5323: Thank you! And these requests look good! I hope I write them to your expectations :D**

 **Guest: I love the fact that you requested Jarlos and Devie but the first one I've technically already done. (Chapter 5: "Lovebirds"). But I am definitely going to do all the other ones!**

 **emerxmccarthy: Looking forward to it!**

 **kbear100: Yep, I can definitely try and do that :)**

 **pmbb: I think those requests will make great stories so looking forward to writing them :)**

 **kathrynefstathiou: Already seeing cute scenes flying through my head, so these requests seem awesome to me.**

 **Eli201: Awww, thank you! Loving these so I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy writing them.**

 **Guest.I: Yay, I'm glad you liked it! One little thing about your requests though, is it okay if I don't make Lia have a crush on Dylan? It's just not something I can see Lia doing. I'll happily still make her a bit jealous of the other things, but Lia wouldn't be jealous of Dylan, specifically. Is it okay if I say she's just jealous that Maesi has a guy and she doesn't?**

 **Kate cheese: I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HAPPY! And yasss, soulmate AU! I'm glad you'll be patient. There are a lot to go before we get to yours.**

 **Maniey: Trust me, I was considering it, but I realised that I enjoy writing and how much it makes people happy. And these look great! I'm looking forward to writing them.**

 **beckandcatforever: I don't do Hevie romance oneshots. Sorry.**

 **SusieBeast: Aww, these sound cute! Looking forward to writing them!**

 **nyahhamilton11: Ooh, I'm loving it! I will enjoy writing that, I'm sure.**

 **Guest: Yes, love it. Will definitely do that. I can imagine Chad connecting with his step-cousin**

 **Guest: I do love sick fics. I'm going to enjoy writing this :)**

 **Guest: That sounds super interesting and I'm sure it'll be great to write!**

 **DragonEmperor999: Sounds like fun!**

 **Guest: I can definitely give that a go! Should be fun :)**

 **Guest: As your oneshot is unspecified and there will be at least one Hades and Mal oneshot, I won't be taking this as another request. I hope the Hades and Mal oneshot that is coming up will be enough.**

 **Guest: As you didn't specify which couple, I will not take this as another request and just hope that the upcoming pregnancy oneshots will satisfy you.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	114. These Quiet Mornings (Bal)

The sun had peaked over the horizon as many stragglers headed home after a long night of celebrating. Everywhere in the country had had some kind of party, lasting long into the night and early morning. Clean-up crews were getting up and getting ready for what they knew would be a long day of work. Those who had work early were doing everything in their power to wake themselves up after indulging in a later-than-usual-night. The previous day had been one of dancing and drinking and celebrating, but it was now back to regular life.

Over in Castle Beast, the servants went about with their jobs but were under strict instructions not to enter the family wing until the next day. Because of this, the servants were some of the few people who knew that the king and queen had yet to go on their honeymoon. They had purposely misled people to think that they'd gone to their honeymoon destination when they left the ball, but they'd actually gone to a smaller reception for their friends and family, and then returned to the castle for their first night together as man and wife.

Once the sun had fully risen, the king lazily opened his eyes and smiled at the sight next to him. Mal was curled up under the blankets, her purple hair scattered across the pillow and partially covering her face. Her arms were pulled into herself but she lay very close to Ben and his hands were resting upon her hips. Slowly, he began tracing patterns over her hip with the pad of his finger. Mal stirred a bit before mumbling half-heartedly: "Get off. Sleep."

Ben chuckled and pulled her closer to himself, causing her to mumble something unintelligible. "Morning," he whispered, moving his hand from her hip to her back and mapping out the scars that littered her back. She could be quite insecure of them, Ben knew, but he couldn't help but think that they showed just how amazing and brave she was.

Mal sighed and buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Ben just stared at her, admiring every part of her, trying to commit her to memory. This moment was one he wanted to remember forever. The feeling of waking up with her in his arms, knowing that this was forever, was something he'd never want to forget. After a little while, Mal cracked open her eyes and looked at Ben.

"Hey," she grinned, lazily.

Ben grinned back at her, "Hey."

Mal pressed a couple of kisses to his collarbone before shifting up to look Ben in the eye. She reached out a hand and brushed Ben's fringe with her thumb. Ben smiled at her and moved her hair out of the way so that he could see her whole face, which shone with happiness.

Mal stared at him for a while before speaking, "We're married," she said with a grin.

Ben took the hand that was stroking his fringe and placed a gentle kiss right by the knuckle of the ring finger, upon which sat her wedding band and engagement ring. She reached out her right hand and grasped his left with it. Her thumb began playing with the ring on his finger and she felt as elated as she did the moment she placed it on his hand, if not more. After a little while, Mal entwined her fingers with his and placed her left hand on his shoulder as she leaned over to kiss him. When she pulled away, the brightness in his eyes had grown and he was staring at her with the happiest – and, admittedly, dopiest – look on his face.

"I still can't believe you said yes," he whispered.

Mal smiled, "I still can't believe yesterday happened without any kind of problem."

Ben laughed, "I'll be honest, that kind of surprised me too. I almost expected someone to come crashing through the doors, objecting to the wedding."

"What, because I'm a VK or because they're hopelessly in love with you?"

"Because they're hopelessly in love with you," Ben replied, "I mean, you're literally the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. The fact that other people are capable of not being in love with you is unfathomable to me."

Mal giggled, "Dork," she said, hands shifting from his neck to his shoulders.

"Your dork," Ben replied before leaning in, "Forever," he added in a dramatic whisper when he was barely an inch from her face.

Mal laughed again and responded by cupping his face and pulling him in for another long kiss. Ben rolled onto his back as they kissed, pulling Mal up with him so that she was laying on top of him. Mal pulled apart with a smirk, "Aren't I crushing you?" she asked, placing one palm on the bed to hold herself up.

Ben just smiled at her, "I don't care. I'm just so happy you're my queen. My wife." Mal smiled taking in the way he emphasised the word wife, as though it was the most important thing. So many people over the years of their engagement had congratulated her because she was going to be queen but she couldn't care less about becoming queen. The main reason she was so excited was because she was going to be a wife. Ben's wife. And to Mal, that was more valuable than any crown.

"I'm so happy you're my husband," Mal replied, "I love you."

Ben's smile grew brighter, "I love you too. So, so much." Mal smiled down at him, leaned down and gently kissed him again. When she pulled away, she gave him one more soft smile before getting up and slipping on a robe. "Where are you going?" he asked, rolling onto his side to watch her tie the sash around her waist.

"To the bathroom," she said, "And once I'm done, you should too. Your morning breath is awful."

Ben laughed, "Love you too, sweetheart."

Mal flashed him a grin before heading into the en suite bathroom. Ben continued to lay in bed and stared at the door, waiting for her to emerge. When she did, she saw him still lying there, grinning like an idiot due to his thoughts of overwhelming joy that had filled him in the few minutes she'd been gone.

"You know, I'm not going to kiss you again if you don't brush your teeth, right?" she laughed. Ben rolled his eyes and got up, catching the robe that Mal threw at him with one hand and slipping it on as he went into the bathroom.

Mal shook her head at her husband (no, she did not just internally squeal like Dizzy) and searched through the wardrobe before grabbing something to put on, smirking a little as she did so.

When Ben came out of the bathroom he saw Mal sat in a white button-up that went to the top of her thighs, putting her hair up in a messy bun.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Most of my clothes are packed and I can't be bothered to get dressed properly, yet," Mal informed him, her hands dropping from her hair.

Ben smirked at her, looking her up and down, "You look good in my clothes."

Mal tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, "I look good in everything," Mal replied, crossing one leg over the other.

Ben laughed, "Well, I won't deny that." He then found some pyjama bottoms and slipped them on before sitting in bed next to Mal. Mal leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing in satisfaction. It felt so good knowing that everything had gone according to plan and now there was nothing that could get between her and Ben, as they had made vows to stay together for the rest of their lives, and whilst she may have been raised by villains, Mal was never one to break a promise. Promises were binding and so she felt as though her heart was bound to Ben's forever. The concept of forever had previously scared her but in this situation, it didn't. And her happily ever after with Ben had begun. But for now, all she wanted to focus on was her honeymoon.

"What time is it?" she asked, suddenly.

Ben checked the clock on his side of the bed, "Half-six," he responded, "We should probably get ready to go if we don't want to get caught in the morning rush hour."

Mal nodded and got out, stretching her legs as she did. Ben got up as well and the two of them grabbed their clothes and began getting dressed.

"It's going to be great," Ben said, "To have a week uninterrupted by calls and texts about everything that's happening in the kingdom."

Mal smiled at him as she slipped on a t-shirt, "Yeah. I'd hope for a week of uninterrupted sleep but my husband isn't that nice to me, usually."

Ben gave an offended laugh, "Maybe you just sleep in too long and he enjoys your company."

"He'd probably enjoy it more if I wasn't tired," Mal reasoned.

"Seem fine to me," Ben commented, doing up his belt.

Mal grinned at him, as she pulled her hair out of its bun, allowing her hair to cascade down her back like a purple waterfall. "I think the fact that this is the first morning of our marriage may have something to do with it."

"Yeah, maybe," Ben went over to her and wrapped his arms around her middle. Mal twisted in his arms so that she was facing him.

"You'd better let me sleep tomorrow," Mal warned, "That's two days in a row that I've been up super early."

"How early did Evie get you up yesterday?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow at his wife as she pushed him away to find her hairbrush.

"Five," Mal said, locating it and running it through her hair.

"And she's not burned to a crisp, how?" Ben joked, double-checking that all their bags were sitting and waiting to go.

Mal laughed, "It might have something to do with the fact that it was my wedding day, she's my best friend and I don't think I was awake enough to actually turn into a dragon."

Ben chuckled, "That I believe. Well, we've got all our bags. You ready to go? The sooner we do, the lower the chance of people realise we didn't leave yesterday and the lower the chance we have of being followed by the paparazzi."

Mal pulled her hair into a pony-tail and then nodded. "Yep, good to go." Mal took her husband's outstretched hand, firmly clasping it in her own. As she gathered her bags, Mal quickly glanced around her room. This was her new home. This was her new life. And she hoped that in the craziness of it all, she would, occasionally, have these quiet mornings where it was just her and Ben and the world outside didn't even seem to exist.

 **Here you go MariaBarbara. This was a little shorter than I usually like my stories to be but I hope it's still good, despite that.**

 **Request Count Down: 55**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **jayfeather: (93) That's really cool!**

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 **SadaboutCameron: Thank you! That means a lot to me :)**

 **Darthrevan112: Your ideas seem great but unfortunately, the requests are closed, meaning I will not be taking anymore requests until further notice.**

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 **Guest: Sorry, the requests are closed and there doesn't appear to be another 6-in-1 on my list.**

 **SusieBeast: Idk if they did or not but if you look him up on the Descendants Wiki, he's there and down as Mal's half-brother so I just decided to use him because whoo, family drama.**

 **Ishy555: (21) Aww, that's so sweet of you! (22) Really? That surprises me because it was the one I was least confident in. And unfortunately, the requests are still closed so no, I can't.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	115. A World of Our Own (Bal)

It was mid-morning in Auradon and the forest was buzzing with life. Deer, badgers, rabbits and many other forest animals scuttled between the trees, the birds flew to and from their nests and the insects buzzed around, all bringing life into the forest, which was filled with colourful flowers and lush green trees of every kind.

Almost hidden from view, was a man-made path, big enough to fit a small vehicle down. The pathway was slightly bumpy and the bushes and trees that grew around it covered it in such a way that you'd have to know it was there to see it.

A deer suddenly skittered across the path as the sound of a car came rolling up to it. It wasn't a big car, as it fits only two people as well as a trunk with luggage, so it just fit the little road. The top was down on and the woman in the passenger seat was watching the trees roll by above her, her smile satisfied. Her right hand hung out of the car and her left rested on her lap, the golden band on her ring finger glinting as the sun caught it. Next to her, in the driver's seat, her husband smiled at her. The music was playing softly from the car radio as they drove.

After some time, the car emerged in from the green to an open area, on which a palace stood. It was, admittedly, smaller than the castle that they called their home, but the woman didn't mind at all, as she'd grown up in a small place. The man also didn't mind, although he was raised in a castle bigger than this one. He'd never been a very showy person, so this small palace seemed lovely to him.

It was a little larger than the average country mansion and had no turrets or towers to speak of. The walls were a white stone that glistened in the summer sun and the roof was made of slate that looked as though it was made of gold. Surrounding it was a white-washed wall, that was currently covered in vines from the lack of attention to it. They drove through the gates that were painted gold and parked on the cobbled driveway. The area on either side of the driveway was what looked like it should be a courtyard but had been left to its own devices for many years. The grass was long and the flowers were overgrown. The woman suspected this had something to do with the fact that servants did not tend to this place unless royalty were planning on staying there, which, as she'd learnt from her husband, was not as often as one might think.

"Here we are," the man said, as he killed the engine, "The summer palace."

Mal smiled at him, "It's lovely."

"Well, it's a bit overrun by weeds and the servants have only managed to clear a few rooms, such as one-bedroom, the kitchen, the dining room and the library," Ben commented, "They didn't want to attract attention by being here too long or coming too often, but Mrs Potts has promised that it is stocked with food and it is definitely out the way enough to avoid the media."

Mal kissed Ben's cheek, "It's perfect."

The corner of Ben's mouth twitched into a lopsided smile and the two of them got out of the car. Ben opened the trunk and began handing Mal bags. Once all the bags were out, they carried them into the castle.

The floors of the castle were covered with a rich blue carpet and the walls were panelled with wood. There were large archways on either side of the hall, leading to other rooms, each lavishly decorated. At the other end of the entrance hall was a grand staircase with a deep cedar bannister that looked as though it was flowing, coming down from where ever it was that the staircase began and curling at the bottom. Next to the stairs, there was a large fireplace and above it hung a portrait framed with gold.

Mal cocked her head to the side as she studied the portrait, which had been dusted recently. A man, tall and proud, stood in his blue suit and a crown of gold encircling his head. The woman by his side was dressed in an evening gown that was a golden yellow and on her head was a tiara that seemed to glitter. Between them stood a young boy, maybe ten years old. His stance was proud like the man's but his smile was soft like the woman's. He wore a blue suit like the man and around his brow was a simple golden band with sapphires dotted around it. Whoever the artist was managed to capture the playful glint in his eyes, although it looked a little less mischievous than what Mal knew to be true.

Mal smiled at the painting before glancing over at Ben.

"You were cute," she commented, before looking back at it.

Ben breathed a laugh, "Yeah." He stood next to Mal and encircled her waist with his arm, mirroring the way his father was holding his mother in the painting. "At least that's never changed."

Mal reached back and patted his cheek lightly, "Keep telling yourself that, Benny dear."

Ben jokingly gaped at the back of her head, "You don't think I'm cute?"

"I mean, I keep telling you I'm only in it for the crown," Mal joked, twisting her head to look at him.

Ben laughed and twisted her around fully so that they were facing one another properly. "Sure you are," he said with a smirk.

Mal shrugged, "It's true."

Instead of responding to that with words, Ben pulled her closer and kissed her, long and full of passion. When he pulled back, he smirked at her, "You still sure?"

Mal blinked at him for a second before answering, "Well, maybe it's partially that as well," she admitted, tilting her head slightly as though considering the idea.

"That's what I thought," Ben said, grinning in victory. "So, do you want to unpack first or just leave our stuff here and go find some breakfast?"

"Breakfast," Mal replied, without hesitation. She put down the bag that was on her back, setting it carefully next to the hearth then turned back to Ben. "So do we have to hunt down the kitchen or do you know where it is?"

"I'm offended that you'd think I don't," Ben replied.

Mal raised an eyebrow at him, "Why would you have any need to when you grew up with everything handed to you on a silver platter?"

Ben held her stare for a second before shrugging, "Touché." He then smiled, "But, I do know where it is, actually."

Mal looked impressed, "Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, as Doug so loving told everyone in his speech yesterday, I was a bit of a wild child. So I used to run around the palace, exploring every nook and cranny. I stumbled across the kitchen one day and Mrs Potts laughed when she saw me in there. Apparently, my eyes went so big because I'd never seen anything like it except in my storybooks." Mal snorted at this but quickly covered her mouth with one hand to hide her amused grin. Ben grinned a little as well, "Yeah, yeah, I was a spoiled little prince who never had any reason to go to the kitchens before that," he said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, "Well, anyway, after that, I used to go down there regularly because it was fascinating to watch all these people at work. And Mrs Potts was always good for a cookie."

Mal laughed again, "Well, you do like your cookies," she replied.

"Not so much any more," Ben admitted, "Someone tampered with one once before manipulating me into eating it so I've kinda become wary of them."

Mal grinned innocently, "Now, who would do a thing like that?"

Ben gave her a look of _don't pretend you don't know_ and the two of them laughed. "Kitchen's this way," Ben said, gesturing to the left of the entrance hall with his head. Mal thought he was going to lead her through the archway but he pushed open a panel on the wall to reveal a set of wooden steps. Mal raised an eyebrow at him.

"A secret doorway?" she asked, looking unimpressed, "Really?"

"Apparently it was for the sake of guests so that servants could easily slip away and not have to be seen," Ben replied.

Mal nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. Ben flicked a switch and the staircase was flooded with light.

"Electricity? I was expecting torches," she joked.

Ben laughed, "We're not in the medieval ages, sweetheart." He then took her hand and the two of them headed down the stairs, Mal holding the handrail by the side as they went. They emerged in a long hallway, with a set of doors on either end. Ahead of them was a large set of double doors and opposite to that, next to the stairs, was a single door that read _Butler_ and one next to it that read _Housekeeper._

Ben pointed towards the doors that were at the end of the hall to the left of them, "Those lead to the women's servant quarters," he said before turning to the other end and pointing at the other set of doors, "And those lead to the men's servant quarters. There's also a common room for them where they could hang out after work. I believe the women have one too. And the kitchen became a mixed gendered common room once all the cooking for the day was over," he explained, pointing at the kitchen "Lumière used to let me in the men's common room and he and the footmen taught me to play different card games. It was a lot of fun."

Mal smiled at him, "Why didn't you play with anyone more your age?" she asked.

"Well, when we came here, it was usually just as a family, so unless we had guests, I was pretty much the only kid," he smiled, "Although, some of the servants' children used to play tourney with me in the courtyard. That stopped, though, after Queen Leah saw us and went off on one about how I shouldn't be playing with children below my station."

Mal cringed, "That won't have gone well."

Ben shook his head, "No. Dad and Queen Leah argued for a while about it but afterwards, I was told that maybe I should stick to playing with other princes and princesses instead of servants. The servants' kids must've been told to not play with me as well because whenever I sneaked down here, they didn't really want anything to do with me."

Mal's furrowed her brow, "That must've been lonely."

Ben shrugged, "I survived. I spent a lot of time with my mom and she tried to make sure that guests would come over regularly just so that I could have some children to play with. And, as I said, Lumière and the other men played cards with me. Just wasn't allowed to play outside with the servants' children." Ben looked over at Mal, who was looking at him sympathetically. He gave her a sad smile before it brightened a lot, "Well, that's enough about my childhood. Let's get some breakfast."

Mal smiled back at him, "As long as I'm cooking," she said, following him into the kitchen.

It was a massive modern kitchen, with sleek, black marble countertops and a few stainless appliances scattered around the room. Along the sides were some stools for people to sit on.

"I can cook!" he said, defensively. Mal just raised an eyebrow at him, causing him to splutter, "Oh, come on. You set toast on fire _one time_."

Mal cracked up at his insulted look. "Just sit down, Ben," she told him, "I can make us something to eat."

"No cookies, right?" Ben said, teasingly as he obeyed.

"For breakfast?" Mal replied, "Do I seem like a nine-year-old boy to you?"

"Uh, I was eight," Ben argued, "And how did you know that I used to have them for breakfast?"

Mal looked at him with a twinkle in her eye, as she got everything she needed out of the cupboards. "You're not the only one who tells me stories of your childhood."

Ben rolled his eyes, "The women in my family," he muttered, getting a flick on the head in reply. "Ow!"

"Watch what you're saying, mister. I can just as easily tamper with this food as I did with that cookie."

Ben grinned, "Well, we'd be starting our marriage the same way we started our relationship."

"You're hilarious," Mal dead-panned before taking the ingredients and measuring out what she needed.

Ben leant his chin on his hand as he watched his wife go around the kitchen, mixing ingredients together and finding things she needed. Soon she was pouring batter into a frying pan and letting it cook for a bit then flipping it and letting it cook for a bit longer.

"You're amazing, you know?" Ben said suddenly, as Mal put the first pancake on a plate.

She turned around, her eyebrow raised, "Because I make pancakes?" she asked, placing it in front of him and handing him the toppings she'd located earlier.

Ben smiled, taking the toppings and placing them in front of him, "Because you just are. You're the most wonderful thing in my life."

Mal laughed, "Are you going to be like this our whole honeymoon?" she asked, turning back to the stove and pouring batter into the pan again.

"Probably."

"Okay, just checking." She turned back to him, a smile on her face, "You're the best thing in my life too," she told him, "I wouldn't be here without you."

Ben grinned at her and she turned back to the cooking. After using all the batter and stacking all the pancakes, she grabbed two more plates and sat opposite Ben. The two of them ate, enjoying their first of many breakfasts as husband and wife.

After they were done, Mal stood up and smiled at Ben, "I'm going to go unpack. You don't mind doing the dishes, do you?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" he replied, narrowing his eyes at Mal.

Mal grinned, "Nope. I cooked, you clean up. Can you handle that?"

"Hey, I may have failed the cooking part of Home Ec but I did manage the cleaning bit quite well, thank you very much," Ben replied.

Mal smiled at him, "Well then, I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically, "Best wedding present yet."

Mal just waved and headed out the room, Ben calling after her to inform her that their room had been prepared in the East Wing. She collected all the bags, managing to awkwardly carry them all. She took a few wrong turns but finally found herself in their bedroom for the week.

It was large, almost as big as their room at home, and along the blue carpet, bright red rose petals had been scattered leading to the king-sized four-poster bed that sat against the back wall. The bed had a walnut frame and royal blue curtains hanging from the frame above, which had been drawn back and tied with gold ribbons. The covers were a light gold and a few cushions that matched the curtains were nestled between the pillows. On the bed, the petals had been laid out in the shape of a heart.

Mal half-heartedly rolled her eyes at the rose petals but smiled, all the same, knowing that the servants who'd been asked to set up the room had probably worked hard to make it look romantic. She then turned to the large walk-in closet, almost directly opposite to the bed. The doors were thrown open and the shelves were made of the same wood as the bed. Mal set about unpacking all their clothes, stashing them away in the various compartments. She opened one of the drawers with the intention to place underwear and socks in it, only to find it already occupied. Mal stared in awe as the jewellery glittered up at her. There were many rings on one side and on the other, pairs and pairs of earrings. She opened the drawer under that to find row after row of bracelets and in the final drawers, necklaces carefully laid out along the soft cushioning of the drawers. She then opened the cupboard above the chest of drawers to find several mannequin heads, each wearing a different tiara, some of which she recognised, some of which she didn't. However, there were two that had nothing on their heads and between these two was a note, written in beautiful cursive.

 _A queen needs a tiara for every occasion,_ it read, _The two empty ones are for the crown you will receive at your coronation and the tiara that I leant you (which I imagine was left at Castle Beast). These crowns and jewels are my wedding present to you as I never had a daughter that I could spoil like this until now._

 _Lots of love,_

 _your doting mother (in-law), Belle_

 _P.S. Don't worry about how the jewellery will get back to Castle Beast. I have that covered._

Mal put a hand to her mouth as she willed herself to not cry at this generosity. Belle had always been so good to her and had become someone that Mal could turn to when she needed a mother. That in itself was worth more than all the jewels in the world. And yet, Belle wanted to give her more, wanted to spoil her, as the note had said. Mal was used to being a little spoiled (Ben always insisted on it) but it was different for a parent to want to spoil her. She was so overwhelmed that she almost considered rejecting the gift. But, of course, she couldn't do that, knowing that it would break Belle's heart. So, she simply tucked the note back into the cupboard and shut it gently.

Suddenly, two arms encircled her, causing her to shriek a little. "Ben!" she exclaimed with a laugh, turning to face him.

Ben grinned at her, "Hey."

Mal rolled her eyes playfully and gently pushed him off of her. Then, she turned back to the almost empty bags to finish unpacking. Ben helped her and soon everything was put away.

"So, now what?" Ben asked, leaning against the chest of drawers that contained all the jewellery that Belle had given Mal.

Mal shooed him off of it but offered no explanation when he sent her a questioning look, wanting to keep it to herself for a little while. She knew that was selfish but it was a gift from her mother-in-law and it felt like something she should cherish and keep safe.

Now standing in front of the cabinet, her stance relaxed and yet still a little protective, Mal smiled at Ben. "Well, you could show me around the castle. I want to see how much of your wild child days you still remember."

"Probably enough to show you the best spots around here. As long as you're okay with the fact that the rooms won't be as clean as usual."

"You know you're talking to the girl who loves jumping around in puddles of mud, right?" Mal responded, raising an eyebrow at him.

Ben laughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It's been a while since I've seen you do anything like that."

"Well, it's not like it was something I could do in Auradon. For one thing, there never seems to mud anywhere," Mal joked.

Ben let out a chuckle and held out his hand, "Well, shall we?"

Mal nodded, clasping her small hand in his large one. She found herself briefly brushing her finger over his ring as she did so. Ben then lead her out of the room and into the hall where he stopped briefly, considering where to start. He then smiled and crossed the hall, opening the door ahead of him. Mal peered inside to see what appeared to be another bedroom. She furrowed her eyebrows a little confused. It was a bit smaller than the room that they were going to be sleeping in but it was still rather large. There was a single bed tucked in one corner of the room with a bedside table next to it. Along the wall were several bookshelves lined up and full to the brim of books. There was a large wardrobe opposite the bookshelves and next to that, a massive TV that had a sofa in front of it and by the looks of it, every gaming console a person could have. Mal also noted a shorter bookshelf that seemed to be full of movies and video games. At the foot of the bed, under the window, was also a desk with some trinkets and a little lamp sitting on it.

"This was my room when we stayed here," Ben explained. "I was rarely in here when I was younger."

Mal smiled, "When was the last time you came?"

Ben thought about it for a second, "I think it was the summer before my coronation," he said, "And then after that, I've been too busy to get away."

Mal hummed thoughtfully, "Well, maybe we should do it more often. I like it up here," she admitted.

"You haven't even seen the best part yet," Ben argued stepping out of his room and closing the door behind him.

Mal laughed, "Benny, as lovely as I'm sure the library is, I think we have very different definitions of what the best part is."

"Haha," Ben shot back, "Just trust me, okay?"

"Do I really want to do that?" Mal asked, a playful smile pulling at her lips.

"Just trust me," Ben repeated, tightening his grip on her hand as he led her down the halls, informing her of every room that he could remember and occasionally peaking in, reassuring her that whatever room he was showing her was not the best part. Mal saw the office (which was smaller than the one at Castle Beast), Belle and Beast's favourite sitting room (definitely smaller than any of the other ones but it was cosy), Ben's old nursery (she immediately pictured Ben in there with a child of their own) and Ben's favourite place, a little windowsill not far from his parent's favourite sitting room.

"This is the best part," Ben said, sitting down on the windowsill. For a moment, Mal saw the ten-year-old boy from the portrait downstairs sat in Ben's place, a book in his hands, his knees pulled up and occasionally glancing out the window. She blinked and the little boy was replaced by the man in front of her, sat with his back against the wall, his head turned slightly as he stared out the window and his arm casually thrown over the knees that he'd pulled up. "I used to be able to sit up here for hours. For once when I looked out my window I didn't see the people I'd be ruling or the responsibilities that I knew were coming. When I looked out here, I could imagine I was flying, like Peter Pan. Just an open sky, a forest below and nothing but faith, trust and pixie dust keeping me afloat."

Mal sighed, "You were too young when you took the throne," she said, sitting down across from him.

Ben shrugged, "Tradition's tradition, right? And it wasn't all bad. I would've never met you if I'd become king any later because chances are you'd have been too old to be classified as a child of the Isle."

Mal hummed, "True. I just wish they didn't put so much stress on you." She then nudged his foot with her own, "But tradition? Really? The country is twenty-five years old."

Ben laughed, "I never really thought of that. I guess you're right."

"When am I not?" she replied, a joking tone in her voice.

Ben chuckled again before looking back at the hall and standing up. "Come on, we've still got the whole castle and the grounds to explore."

"Well, lead the way, dear husband," Mal said, standing up and taking his hand.

"That I shall, my darling wife." And so hand-in-hand the two of them explored every area of the castle, stopping only to make themselves some lunch or dinner. The evening came and found them laying together under the covers of their bed, wrapped around each other as they drifted off to sleep, looking forward to whatever else their time together had in store for them. Because out here, the world was theirs and nothing could stop them.

 **Here you go MariaBarbara. I hope you liked it. I definitely enjoyed writing it.**

 **Also, sorry for the major delay guys but there are many reasons for that and many reasons as to why my writing will slow down considerably: School starts on Wednesday and I have homework to complete for it. These next two years will require a lot of studying so I won't have much free time to write. I've also gotten myself a job that means that I'm not home till late some days. I also will be possibly be taking on a few more responsibilities at school. What I'm trying to say is: my real life will be busy so my writing will slow down. Unfortunately, real life has to come first. I will try to write as much as possible but I can't promise that updates will be frequent at all.**

 **Request Count Down: 54**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **kbear100: I'm so glad that I will eventually be able to give you the fic you want!**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks. And you only suggested one?**

 **emerxmccarthy: Thanksssssss!**

 **pmbb: Yay! I'm so pleased!**

 **MariaBarbara: So happy you loved it!**

 **xez2003: There is more Bal to come ;) I'm so glad you liked it!**

 **Ishy555: (26) Awww, thanks! She's definitely one of my favs (32) I love them too! And there is more of them on my long list of requests coming up soon! (34) Yasss (35) Because I'm hilarious! Lol, jk. (38) Yass, they are! (39) Yeah, I found myself loving this ship almost straight away too. (40) So glad! (46) Yes! They definitely should! (51) You can say it as many times as you like ;) (52) Because who doesn't love seeing Ben get hit by a car? Kidding. I'm glad you loved it! (53) I completely agree, it really is. (54) Glad you think so! (55) Yay! I'm happy it did! (57) Who doesn't? (60) Same here! (65) Thank you so much! (71) Bal forever indeed**

 **Anonymousnette: (113) Why are you apologising? You don't need to. You only sent in one unlike others who sent in 5 or 6, which I really appreciated. Also, I am so sorry that I respond to your review! I must've missed it when writing up the responses. I love your idea and I can't wait to write it! It's going to be so much fun, I'm sure of it.**

 **Guest: (88) Awww, thank you! Your kind words mean so much to me! This was so sweet of you to say!**

 **Eli201: Yay, I'm glad I did well. And thank you! I'm going to need it.**

 **SusieBeast: True. I'm so happy you loved it!**

 **ThunderClanWarrior502: (63) Yep, bro hugs are epic hugs (but then again I like all hugs so…)**

 **Grace: HEYYYYY. I MISSED YOU! Awwww! I love you too, babe! (You've left me speechless with happiness so I don't know what else to say!)**

 **Guest: I'm sorry. But the requests are closed and I don't do exceptions. You'll probably have to wait years just to request it. Sorry.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	116. Their Little Family

It was a day that could only be described as perfect. The sun was shining but not harshly, the only clouds in the sky were pure white and fluffy as they drifted across the periwinkle sky and the breeze was light and welcome. The weather was exactly what the students of Auradon Prep had been hoping for. Many offered to help set up the courtyard for the celebration and in the castle boys and girls alike were making sure that they looked smart and presentable.

Over in Castle Beast, the babbling of a child over the baby monitor is what roused the queen from her sleep. She sighed and turned over to see if her husband was awake yet, only to find him already gone. Slowly, she got out of bed and put on her dressing gown then left her room, heading for the nursery. When she got there, she smiled as she saw her daughter on the ground playing with her toys and Ben sitting down next to her, playing right alongside her. Mal couldn't help but stand and watch for just a little while, relishing this moment. Her baby was growing so fast she didn't want to miss a second.

After a little while, Ben saw her in the corner of his eye and looked up, smiling. "Hey, sweetheart."

Mal smiled back at him, "Hey," she replied, leaning her head on the door frame. The sound of her voice caught Lia's attention and she dropped the toy in her hand to crawl over to her mom. Mal crouched down to pick Lia up. "Hey to you too, Baby Bear. How's my little girl this morning?"

Lia just gave her an almost toothless smile and grabbed a bit of Mal's shirt in her little fist. "Ra ra ra," she babbled. Mal smiled at her daughter. They'd recently discovered that "Ra" was one of her new favourite sounds which both Mal and Ben found amusing due to their nickname for her.

"You're a cute little bear, aren't you?" Mal asked before shifting her to one hip as Ben finally stood up. Lia reached over to Ben so he took her from Mal's arm.

"So," Ben said, once Lia was comfortably sat in his arms, "it's Family Day today. FG posted about it on Gracebook this morning," he added at Mal's confused look. Mal nodded slowly before gesturing for him to go on. "Well, I was thinking, maybe we could have a Family Day of our own. You don't have great memories associated with it so I was hoping we could do something to make it better. Especially seeing as we have our own family now," he explained, nodding at Lia who was still babbling to herself.

Mal looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging, "Yeah, that could be fun. Who else would be at this Family Day?"

"Well, obviously we should invite Evie, Carlos and Jay and therefore by extension, Lonnie, Doug and Jane. And I was thinking my parents and your dad and maybe even Hadie?"

Mal smiled, "That does sound like fun. Maybe the others could bring some of their family as well?"

Ben nodded, "If they want to. I mean, I hope they're all available because this _is_ a little last minute."

"Well, I could give them a call and you could see if Mrs Levi would be up to making food for all of us. We could set it up in the courtyard and have a sort of picnic. Maybe they can come at around eleven and we could have some games or something."

Ben smiled at her, "Yeah, sounds good. Here, you want to take Lia? I'll head down to the kitchens. Mrs Levi is probably finishing up breakfast as we speak so I'd better see if she'd be okay with changing lunch plans."

"I'll call everyone now," Mal said, placing Lia on her hip and heading back to her room, "They're probably awake and if not, tough for them."

Ben laughed, "And yet you would cause some serious harm to anyone who did that to you," he teased.

Mal held her hand up in an "oh well" manner, "I'm the queen. What I say, goes, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Ben chuckled and followed Mal out the door, him heading to the kitchen and her going to see who was available.

Once she had put Lia down on the floor and watched her crawl around for a few seconds, Mal picked up her phone, still keeping an eye on her little girl, and began calling people up. Evie answered within two rings.

 _"Hey, M!"_ She said, brightly, _"What's up?_ "

"Hey, E," Mal replied, "Any chance you're free today?"

 _"Depends on what I need to be free for."_

"Well, apparently it's Family Day in AP today so Ben had this idea that we do a Family Day of our own. Both you and Doug are invited and you're welcome to bring some of your family if you want? Like your mom and Doug's parents. Maybe even a couple of his uncles and cousins."

Evie hummed thoughtfully, _"Doug's parents and uncles are out of town, some kind of miner's convention or something. And Mom still barely talks to me so...yeah, it may just be Doug and me."_

"Still no hope with her, then?" Mal sighed, "Never mind. We'd love to have you and Doug, though. If you want to come around eleven? We'll have lunch and maybe some games in the courtyard."

 _"Sounds great! We'll be there! Love you, M,"_

"Love you too, E," and with that, she hung up.

Next up was Carlos.

 _"Hey, Mal,"_ Jane was the one who answered, _"Sorry, Carlos is in the shower."_

"No problem, I was just going to ask if you two had any plans today?"

" _Not as far as I'm aware. I mean, I_ think _Carlos didn't make any plans. Hold on, let me check our diaries."_

Mal waited for a few minutes whilst there was a bit of shuffling and muffled yelling on the other end of the phone. Whilst she waited, Lia had come up to her and had begun tugging on Mal's robe and lifting her hands up, making a little sound. Mal crouched down and scooped her daughter up, "Got bored of exploring, Baby Bear?" she said, quietly. She leaned over and brushed her nose against her daughter's with a little grin.

 _"Hey, I'm back,"_ Jane said, _"Yeah, we're free. Why what's up?"_

"Well, as I'm sure you know, it's Family Day in Prep so Ben wanted to do a Family Day of our own here and we were wondering if you want to join? You can bring your family if you want."

 _"Mom will be too busy with Auradon Prep's Family Day,"_ Jane said, _"But we'll definitely be there. If Carlos is okay with it. I should probably check with him first. So maybe not definitely, but probably. Most likely. Hold on, he's out the shower now, let me ask."_

Mal had to refrain from laughing as Jane rambled. She pulled a funny face at Lia and rolled her eyes, "That Aunty Jane of yours, eh?" she asked, as Lia gave a delighted laugh at Mal's silly face, which caused Mal to grin and pull another.

 _"You know we can hear you, right?"_ Carlos was now on the phone. _"What time do you want us there?"_

"Eleven," Mal said, "I'll make sure that there is plenty of chocolate as well."

 _"I was already coming, you didn't need to try and convince me further,"_ Carlos joked, but Mal could hear that he was pleased and possibly a little excited.

"Yeah, yeah. See you there, Oscar." Before he had a chance to retaliate with her middle name, Mal hung up and began dialling Jay's number.

 _"Yo, you're on speaker!"_ Jay called down the phone after picking up, _"Hey, I was answering the phone, that's cheating!"_

Mal rolled her eyes, "Lonnie there too?"

 _"Hey, Mal!"_ Lonnie's voice came, _"What's up?"_

"You guys wanna come round at, like, eleven? Carlos, Jane, Evie and Doug will be there and we were thinking about having a little Family Day thing because it's Family Day at Auradon Prep."

 _"Yeah, sounds-hey!-sounds good,"_ Lonnie said, _"You pull a stunt like that again and I'm giving you back this ring, buster."_ Jay laughed loud and clear and Mal just rolled her eyes.

"Will any of your family be coming?" Mal asked.

 _"They live quite far,"_ Lonnie said, _"But I think Li'l Shang's in town, so I could ask him if he wants to join us."_

 _"Oh, and Lei's lives down here as well,"_ Jay replied.

 _"No, she went back to Northern Wei this morning,"_ Lonnie reminded him.

"So just you two and possibly Li'l Shang?" Mal asked.

 _"Yeah, is that okay?"_ Lonnie asked.

"Of course," Mal replied, "It'll be so much fun. See you guys later." She then hung up and brought Lia into the nursery again to let her play with her toys whilst Mal called her brother.

 _"Hi, Mal. You okay?"_ Hadie asked.

"Yeah, you?" Mal replied, tucking her feet underneath her as Lia began picking up her toys to decide what to play with.

 _"I'm good. Was there something you wanted or were you just calling to check on me?"_

"Well, Ben and I are hosting a little Family Day at our place today and I was wondering if you wanted to join us?" She grinned at Lia who handed her one of the toys she picked.

 _"Ah, as much as I'd love to, sis, I've got plans already. You could try Dad? I kinda had to cancel lunch with him."_

"Yeah, okay. I'll text you soon, okay?"

 _"Yeah, sure."_

Mal sighed as she hung up.

"You okay?" A voice asked behind her. Mal turned to see Ben standing there, his hands in his pockets. He came a few steps closer and then sat down next to her.

Mal smiled and shrugged, "I think so. I just wish I could be a bit closer to Hadie."

"Not coming then?" He sighed sympathetically when Mal shook her head, "Hey, you two will get there. There is a lot of time to make up for." Mal nodded slowly. "So who is coming?"

"Well, so far it is Carlos and Jane, Evie and Doug, and Lonnie and Jay."

"So just the original gang then?" Ben asked, a smile on his face, "No parents?"

"FG's obviously got AP's family day and the dwarfs are all at some kind of miner's convention. I haven't gotten round to asking Dad or your parents. Oh, and Lonnie said her brother was in town so he might be joining us too."

Ben smiled, "Well, it certainly sounds like it's going to be fun," he then turned to Lia who had crawled over to him, "Right, Bear?" he asked, scooping her up and popping her on his lap.

Lia giggled and clapped her hands. Mal smiled at her daughter before reaching for her, "Come on, Baby Bear, let's get you dressed. Do you mind calling our parents?" Mal asked Ben, as she stood up with Lia on her hip.

Ben smiled up at them, "Yeah, sure, I can do that."

Mal smiled her thanks and headed to the closet with all Lia's clothes in. "Should we see if that dress from Aunty Evie finally fits?" She asked Lia, as she opened the wardrobe door. Behind her, she could hear Ben greeting whoever it was on the other side of the phone. She pulled out a white dress with red, yellow and blue flowers dotted across it.

As Mal changed Lia from her onesie into the dress, Ben bid his mom goodbye and hung up before dialling Hades' number.

 _"Yeah?"_

"Hey, Dad," Ben replied, "How are you?"

 _"I'm good, I suppose. How's that granddaughter of mine?"_

Ben smiled, "Growing bigger and more beautiful every day. Are you free today?"

 _"Well, I was supposed to have lunch with Hadie but he cancelled on me last minute, so my schedule is suddenly clear. Why? Everything okay?"_

"Yeah, of course. Mal and I were going to host a little Family Day today if you want to come? Everyone should be here at about eleven."

 _"Who's everyone?"_

"Just Mal's old gang plus partners and Lia. Oh and my parents."

There was a brief silence. _"Well, I suppose I could come. Any excuse to see my granddaughter."_

"Great, we'll see you then."

 _"See you then."_ And with that, Hades hung up.

"Should we show Daddy how you look?" Mal said, causing Ben to look up. "What do you think, Daddy?" she asked, picking Lia up.

Ben smiled and walked over, reaching for his daughter as he did so, "I think," he said, plucking Lia easily from Mal's arms, "That she is the most beautiful little princess to ever live."

Lia giggled, as though she understood what her father said and then reached out, grabbing his nose in her little hand. Both Ben and Mal laughed, Ben gently removing her hand from his nose.

"We'd better get changed and have breakfast if we want to be ready for our guests," Mal commented.

So, a few hours later, Ben and Mal found themselves helping the servants get the courtyard ready just before their friends arrived.

"Just a little lower," Mal was saying to two of the footmen who were putting up some bunting, "Perfect! Thank you, guys. It looks great." The two footmen bowed and left, bringing their step ladders with them.

"And that's the last of it," Ben said, "They should be here soon."

Mal hummed and shifted Lia in her arms slightly, "Yep." She turned to Ben, "This was a good idea."

"I wouldn't speak too soon if I were you," Ben said, "Our dads will be in the same place together."

Mal laughed, "It'll be fine," she said, "Just so long as they don't get into any heated arguments."

"So don't let them talk?" Ben replied with a slightly cheeky smile.

Mal rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly and turned her attention to her little girl who was babbling. She then looked around at the courtyard. There was bunting strung from tree to tree and a banner hung over the entrance of the courtyard reading _Castle Beast Family Day_ which Mal had managed to throw together last second with her trusty spray can. On the ground was a picnic mat big enough for everyone that was coming and just behind it was a large table laden with sandwiches and snack foods for them all to enjoy. There was also a game of croquet set up as well as a few other kinds of balls to throw around with each other. They'd also set out a few things for Lia, including a tube that she could crawl through and a few toys, although they were very careful to make sure there were no small bits as she'd begun putting things in her mouth.

Mal turned her eyes back to Lia, who was flapping her arms a little as she babbled: "Rararara."

Suddenly, there was the sound of light chatter and Ben and Mal turned to see Carlos, Jane, Jay and Lonnie walking towards them, conversing amongst themselves.

"Hey, guys!" Ben called out with a wave.

The quartet waved back and picked up their pace a little as they headed over. The young of the two women greeted Ben quickly before immediately fawning over Lia.

"Oh, look how big she's gotten!" Jane said, waving at Lia.

Lia giggled and reached for Jane, clearly having recognised her as a friend. Jane was more than willing to take her from Mal and hold her. The others all exchanged greetings as this happened. Lonnie had only just had a chance to explain that Li'l Shang was unable to make it when they heard another greeting being called. They all turned their heads to see Belle and Adam coming over, dressed as smart as ever. It was no surprise that Belle immediately went over to Lia, forgetting to say hello to her son and daughter-in-law first.

Ben laughed lightly, "Nice to see you too, Mom," he said.

"Oh, sorry, sweetie," Belle said, turning back to him and hugging him, "I've just been excited to see my granddaughter since you invited us over this morning."

Ben laughed again, "It's okay, Mom." Belle also quickly gave Mal a hug before going back to fawning over her granddaughter, who appeared to be loving the attention.

Mal smiled at them for a while before turning to Lonnie and striking up a conversation with her. "So, how's the job going?"

"Oh, I've been promoted to assistant manager," she said, "I was going to tell you about that but it must've slipped my mind."

"Oh, congratulations!" Mal cried, pulling her in for a hug.

"Thank you," Lonnie replied, grinning as she pulled out of the hug, "I never thought I would love working in a store as much as I do."

"Oh, please. I can't imagine anyone having as good customer service as you do," Mal said, "You're the politest, loveliest person I know but if someone is kicking up a fuss, you can deal with it."

Lonnie just shrugged before grinning.

"Speaking of kicking up a fuss," someone said, causing Lonnie and Mal to turn to see that Evie and Doug had arrived along with Hades. "We need to organise your dress fittings before I do. The fabric finally arrived so I think we can get on with it."

Lonnie sighed, "Evie, the wedding is four months away. We have time."

"Maybe, but I also need to sew bridesmaids dresses as well as dresses for some of your guests so I need to get started as soon as possible."

"We've been here five minutes and already someone has brought up the wedding," Jay suddenly said from where he was standing with the other guys, "This is why I said we should elope, Lon."

Lonnie gave him a look before turning back to the girls, "All right, Evie, we can organise some dress fittings. Are you sure you also want to sew the bridesmaid dresses? We could just buy them."

Evie waved her off, "I managed to redo Mal's dress for Cotillion in a few hours. I can manage a couple dresses of girls whose measurements I've pretty much memorised by this point, especially if I have four months left." Suddenly, Lia seemed to catch her attention, "Oh, look at my beautiful niece!" And just like that, she was gone.

Jay looked confused, "What is it for women and babies?" he finally asked.

"We can't resist cute things," Mal answered, "Hence why Lonnie is not having a problem with waiting to marry you."

"Haha," Jay deadpanned. Lonnie and Mal giggled and even the men had to withhold a chuckle.

Mal then turned to her dad and went to give him a hug, "Hey, Dad," she said, holding on to him for a few seconds.

"Hey," he replied, letting go of her. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, sorry," she replied, "I promise that we'll meet up for lunch again soon."

Hades nodded with a small smile. Mal then turned to join others in conversation when she saw something that made her laugh, "I swear, she is in someone else's arms every time I turn around," Mal commented, upon seeing that Adam was now holding Lia.

"Your fault for being the first to have a kid," Evie replied, "And the most adorable one ever." She said the last bit in a baby voice whilst looking at Lia, who was still giggling and smiling.

Mal smiled, "Yeah. She gets that bit from her father."

"We'll agree to disagree on that," Ben said, giving Mal a soft look before turning his eyes to Lia, his expression not changing.

"You know, aside from the fact that her eyes are hazel and her hair is brown," Hades began, "She looks a lot like you did at her age, Mal."

Mal gave him a confused look, "I thought you'd left by then."

Hades smiled, "I had. But your mom used to leave you with some babysitters who would take you out into the streets and I used to watch you from the shadows."

Despite the slightly weird looks the Auradonians were exchanging, Mal smiled back. "Well, at least we know vaguely what she will look like when she's older."

"Speaking of babies," Lonnie said suddenly, "You'll never guess what I heard the other day."

"What?" Carlos asked, looking a little curious.

"Aziz's wife is pregnant," she replied. "But that does not leave this courtyard. They want to keep it out of the media for the time being."

Lonnie's serious look was enough to make them all swear not to say a word.

"Didn't you use to date Aziz?" Jane asked, after they all made their promise.

"Wait, _what_?" Jay asked, looking at Lonnie with wide eyes. "How have we been together five years and I've never heard about this?"

Lonnie laughed and then shrugged, "Oh, we went on like one date and were together for about two weeks. We realised after we kissed that it was like kissing our siblings. We ended it after that and just stayed really good friends."

"You kissed him? Seriously, how did I never know this?" Jay asked. The others laughed at Jay's face, which was one of confusion more than the jealousy people had expected. Mal felt proud at that moment. It was obvious that Jay knew that even if Lonnie dated others in the past, she chose him in the end. He'd finally managed to accept that she chose him because she loved him and not because she couldn't find anything better.

"How about a game of croquet?" Mal said, interrupting the conversation. There was a chorus of agreement and everyone headed to where croquet had been set up.

And so it went. They played games, chatted and ate together for the rest of the afternoon. Lia was passed around so that everyone ended up holding her at some point (and even Jay wasn't able to deny how adorable his niece was). There was playful banter and lots of laughter. It felt like something many of the Isle folk didn't have a lot of experience in. A real family.

 **Here you go MariaBarbara. Hope I did good :)**

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 **Ishy555: (83) Is it weird that from the moment I saw that review I was getting more and more excited the closer you got to the wedding oneshot? (84) YAY I'M SO PLEASED! (85) As usual XD (89) Yay, I'm so happy! (90) I'm at loss for words. I'm so glad you love them! Lia is literally my baby because she was my first Descendants OC. (91) She doesn't know it yet though ;) (95) They do make a fun quartet. (99) Aren't they just? (100) And I love writing about her. (101) I'm glad you thought so! (102) Daesi is very good at working its way into people's hearts very quickly. (103) Indeed. (105) Yay! (106) Proof of an excellent writer ;) (110) I'm glad you found it funny! (113) Yay! I love making people laugh. And I'll be okay, so don't feel too bad :) (114) Don't apologise, I love it. Especially because all I see is the chapter number and I spend ages trying to work out which story you're talking about XD (115) I'm glad!**

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 **MacKenna: (93) Okay, I'm going to apologise in advance for this long explanation. They would actually be seventeen. The reason I said fifteen was because I had read somewhere that Carlos was two years younger than the other three (therefore fourteen when he came to Auradon) and in this little timeline that I had made in my head, neither Jane nor Carlos had a birthday in the six months that passed between D1 and D2. However, since the new film and book (which I have only read the outline of the plot) I've worked out that they are actually only about a year younger, and so were fifteen when he came to Auradon. After readjusting my timeline to fit with the new film, I realised that in the time-line I had made, both of their birthdays would've actually passed during the six months period between D1 and D2 so they would've been sixteen at Cotillion. This meant that in this oneshot, they were actually supposed to be seventeen.**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	117. Almost a Second Chance (Mal and Hades)

As the day began to reach noon, the sun rose higher and the atmosphere grew warmer. Restaurants were preparing for the lunchtime rush and people in their various jobs were counting down the minutes till they could take their lunch break. Those walking down the high street were able to smell the food being prepared in the different restaurants.

It wasn't just the restaurants that were cooking though. Over in Castle Beast, the cook was hard at work, preparing a state luncheon that would be held at the Castle. These dishes were to feed royalty and nobles and so had to be perfect. Orders were being called across the room, the sound of sizzling and boiling filled the area, pots were banged onto stoves and knives fell so fast on chopping boards that they seemed to simply be a blur.

A few floors above the noisy kitchen, a young man entered his office, looking over some papers as he headed to his desk, briefly glancing at his wife who sat at her desk, which was positioned so that if he turned ninety degrees to his left, he'd be facing her. This was so that he could turn to her if he needed her but he wouldn't find himself distracted by watching her little quirks, like how she would tap a pen on the side of her head when she was thinking. Seriously, after nearly five years of being together and six months of marriage he wouldn't get so distracted by those things any more (turns out, he still does).

"Okay, so we have that meeting with the sidekicks at three and the state luncheon at one," he said, sitting down.

"State luncheon?" his wife asked, looking up, "Ben, I can't."

Ben looked up at her confused, spinning his chair to face her, "What do you mean you can't?"

"I have lunch with Dad," she explained, the pen in her hand drooping to the side slightly.

The honey-brown-haired king sighed, "Mal, I know you hate doing this but could you just skip it this once? This luncheon is really important."

"No, Ben, I can't. I was planning on telling him about the baby," Mal argued, placing her hand on her still flat stomach for emphasis.

"Can't it wait till next week?" her husband asked, briefly glancing down at her hand before looking back up, "Why does it have to be today?"

The purple-haired demi-god huffed, "Because we're telling your parents at dinner tomorrow and for once in my life, I'd like my dad to know something about me first." She sighed gently at Ben's slightly confused face, "Look, your parents have known pretty much everything about me, about _us_ , first. Anything my dad knew, he got second-hand. I want to be the one to tell him and I want him to know first because I want him to know that he is just as important to me as your parents."

Ben regarded his wife for a little while, processing what she said, before sighing and nodding, "Yeah, okay. I can handle the luncheon by myself. I'll explain that you had a prior engagement that you simply couldn't get out of."

Mal smiled at him, "Thank you for understanding." She then glanced up at the clock that sat on the mantelpiece, "Actually, Dad will be expecting me. I should go."

"Okay, have fun," he said, smiling at her. "Love you."

Mal quickly pecked his lips before grabbing her purse and jacket that were on her chair, "Love you too," she said, as she left.

Mal paused briefly in the hall to pull on her jacket and slip her purse over her shoulder before carrying on her way out of the castle and towards the garage where her bike was waiting for her.

She smiled at the sight of its polished exterior, placing a mental reminder to thank Perry, who worked on the cars and bikes. She located her helmet and slipped it over her head, fastening it under her chin. After fumbling briefly with her keys, Mal turned the key and the engine roared to life like a dragon waking from her slumber. The purple-haired fae smiled at the sound of it and watched as the garage door opened. As soon as it was open, she raced out of it, clicking the button on her set of keys to close it as she did.

As she zoomed out of the gate, all Mal could do was smile at the freedom she felt. It was like all her stress was left behind and couldn't keep up with her bike. Admittedly, it wasn't as good a feeling as flying, but it was pretty close. Mal knew she had to enjoy this whilst she could because Ben would soon ban her from her bike for her sake and the baby's.

The baby. How would her dad react to that? She hoped that he would be happy. He'd joked about having fiery-haired grandchildren, claiming it simply skipped a generation, but Mal wasn't sure how he'd react to actually having a grandchild. Would he run again? Probably not as it won't technically be his responsibility. Would he distance himself though? Or would he be a doting grandfather who smothered his grandchildren with love and presents? Mal had no doubt in her mind that Adam and Belle would be the smothering kind. But her father? He'd been in her life properly for over three years but there was still that lingering doubt, something she knew must be a side-effect of eighteen years of abandonment. She was now wishing on every star she could that he would be happy.

Finally, she pulled up in the car park of the restaurant where she was meeting her dad and killed the ignition. She then slipped the keys into her pocket and carried her helmet by her side. She looked briefly around the car park to see if she could spot her dad's car, which he'd recently bought and learnt to drive (he was so proud of himself). When she didn't see it, she figured she was probably early so she went and got them their usual table.

As she waited, she found herself tapping her fingers on the tabletop, smiling at people who looked at her. Finally, she spotted her dad's flaming blue hair and waved as he entered the restaurant. Hades smiled and immediately went over to her. Before he had a chance to sit down though, Mal stood up, "Actually, Dad, I was thinking we get take out and head to the woods or something?" It wasn't unusual that they did this, although it was rare. If either had had a hard day and couldn't deal with the stares, they'd get take-out and go sit somewhere quiet together.

The god didn't question Mal's decision for this reason and so they ordered their food to go before leaving. Then Hades got into his car, following his daughter on her bike to their usual quiet spot: a little clearing deep in the woods, close to the Enchanted Lake. It was peaceful there and a little dark, something they both preferred. The flowers there grew wild, unlike the ones in Auradon City, which were kept in line and were as neat and proper as any royalty should be. There were also a couple stumps, although they were too far apart for the god and demi-god to use if they wanted a decent chat. However, if they were really quiet, they could faintly hear the rush of the waterfall by the Enchanted Lake.

When they arrived, they sat down on the ground and got their food out, eating a couple bites before the conversation started up. They talked about their week, their colleagues, their friends and eventually ended up on the topic of family.

Mal smiled as Hades recounted stories about Hadie, some she'd heard a thousand times and others she'd never heard before. In return, Mal always made sure to tell him stories of her childhood, filling him in on everything he'd missed throughout her life. He never seemed to tire of her stories and even seemed to enjoy hearing about her different adventures in Auradon.

"So how is Ben, anyway?" Hades finally asked after a while.

Mal smiled at the mention of her husband, "He's good. Stressed I think. We're supposed to be having a state luncheon and I kinda left him to deal with that on his own."

Hades raised an eyebrow, "I thought affairs of the state were supposed to come first," he commented, "I would've understood if you had to cancel."

It was the perfect opportunity to tell him about the baby. But Mal couldn't bring herself to do it. It could easily go either way and she just wanted to enjoy her time with her father for now. So instead, Mal smiled, "Why would I cancel if you were the perfect excuse to get out of this luncheon? Seriously, I still struggle with the etiquette, so it's nice to be able to skip."

Hades laughed, "Well, feel free to use me as an excuse any time." This caused Mal to laugh as well and gently nudge her dad's foot with her own.

The god of the Underworld looked at her for a few seconds before grinning cheekily, "So, you and Ben have been married a few months now," he said, his voice taking on a joking tone, "Any chance that I'm going to see any grandchildren soon?" He winked, indicating to Mal that he was merely kidding, having heard a few of her rants about the kingdom trying to pressure her into producing an heir before she and Ben were ready.

"Actually..." The queen of Auradon began, causing Hades to raise a questioning eyebrow, "I..." she swallowed, a little nervously, "I'm pregnant." Hades just blinked at her, clearly trying to register what she'd just said. "You're going to be a grandpa," Mal added, smiling a little though fearing her doubts were about to become true.

But then, Hades began to smile. It was a tiny thing at first, barely noticeable, but soon enough it stretched into a full-blown grin. "I'm going to be a granddaddy?"

Mal felt tears of relief fill her eyes, threatening to spill over as her smile grew to match the one of her unborn child's grandpa. "Yeah," she said nodding, "You are."

Hades let out a laugh of pure joy and pulled Mal in for a hug, "I can't believe I'm going to be a granddaddy." He then pulled out of the hug and held Mal at arm's length, hands on her shoulders, "You know this means that I'm going to be coming round that castle so often you're going to end up having to kick me out?" Mal grinned impossibly wider and nodded, hugging her dad again as the tears began to flow.

"That sounds perfect to me." For a while, they just held each other.

Mal couldn't believe it. Her dad was happy. He was going to be there. Her child would never have to wonder why they only knew their dad's parents. They were going to get the chance she never had: to grow up with Hades in their life.

"Right," Hades suddenly said, pulling away from her, "We're going to that castle of yours and talking to your husband. A state luncheon is no excuse not to be here when you tell me the happy news." He paused briefly, "He does know right?"

Mal laughed, "Of course he does. I told him almost as soon as I found out."

"Well then, we're going to go so that I can offer my congratulations to him as well."

"By 'offer your congratulations' do you mean you're going to shake his hand whilst giving him a threatening look or hug him whilst crushing him slightly to prove you're still stronger?" The half-fae asked, a cheeky grin on her face.

Hades just raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to giggle a bit.

"Hold on," she said, as he went towards the car, "You've got to be careful that no one overhears you say anything about what I told you. We're not wanting the media to find out just yet, so we're going to have to wait until the luncheon is over," she said, looking at her watch, "And it will have barely started by the time we get there. I'll text Ben and ask him to let me know when it's over."

Hades sighed, "Fine, we'll wait."

And wait they did. They continued their conversations but somehow Hades managed to always bring it back to the baby and the plans for them and name ideas and how he was going to spoil them rotten. And Mal had been completely okay with this. Sure, she was hoped her whole pregnancy wouldn't be like this and that she'd be seen as more than just a pregnant mother, but right now with her dad, she was overjoyed that he was so happy, she'd let him talk to her about the baby for a century and she wouldn't tire of the light that shined across his face every time he talked about it.

Finally, Mal received a text from Ben, letting her know that it was okay to come to the castle, so Mal got on her bike and Hades got in his car, then the two of them drove off to Castle Beast.

When they arrived, Mal led Hades to the office, where Ben had said he would be preparing for the meeting ( _'which you're not allowed to skip'_ the text had read, followed by a winky face). Mal didn't have a chance to even greet her husband before Hades had gone past her and pulled Ben into a bone-crushing hug. As he pulled out of the hug, the god gripped the king's upper arm, "I swear, if you ever even think of following in my footsteps with this kid, I'm going to personally make your life hell for you. And I'm the god of Hell."

Ben winced slightly, both out of pain and a little fear, "Trust me, sir, I have no intention of ever leaving either of them. If I ever did something so stupid, I would punish myself."

Hades leaned his face close to Ben's, baring his teeth, "Good."

"Okay, Dad, that's enough," Mal said, "You have nothing to worry about."

Hades nodded as he let go of Ben's arm, "I know. You married a good man. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to make sure."

Mal sighed and went over to her dad, wrapping him in a hug. Hades happily accepted the hug and held his daughter tightly, as though afraid to let go. He then looked over Mal's shoulder at Ben but rather than any warning in his eye, Ben saw a softness. Hades smiled lightly and gestured for him to come over. Ben approached slowly and placed a hand on his wife's back, causing her to take one arm off of her dad and put it around Ben's torso, pulling him into the hug. Hades rested a hand on Ben's shoulder and the king wrapped his arm around the blue-haired man's shoulders.

The three of them stood in that embrace for a while before Mal pulled back, wiping her eyes as she did so, having cried at the happiness she felt over the baby and Ben and her father. "Right, well, we have a meeting soon and I have to clean up this," she gestured vaguely at her face, where her make-up was running slightly, "So, I'll see you later, Dad."

And with that, she left the room, watching out of the corner of her eye as Ben and Hades sat down and chatted like old pals, both smiling and completely comfortable with one another. Mal placed a hand over her belly as she left the room, "You have two pretty incredible men in your life, baby," she whispered, "You're going to be just fine." And as she thought about it, she realised why her dad became so passionately protective about her and the baby. Because this child was almost like a second chance.

 **Well, two of you suggested this one so here you go Agata and MariaBarbara. I hope you guys enjoyed this!**

 **Request Count Down: 52**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **DragonEmperor999: Thanks and no. Yours is actually second to last. I do them in the order I receive them.**

 **kbear100: Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

 **pmbb: I'm so happy you loved it so much!**

 **wildflowerchildGrace: I'm glad you thought it was funny. And to answer your question (yes, I know I've already answered it but this is for others who also want the answer), Lonnie is super close with Aziz and Aziz was so excited he just had to tell someone that Annie was pregnant.**

 **xez2003: I am so glad you that you loved it! And yep, it certainly did.**

 **Thu: Aww, I'm so glad you like them! And honestly, I have no idea. I try to write them quickly but also I try to write them well. They may get quicker now that I'm getting settled into a routine, but no promises.**

 **Randomn: I'm so glad you found it cute! And yep, only one left now till yours! As for the second one, I'll probably do it. Can't promise it'll be good though. Stepping out of my comfort zone often leads to disaster but that doesn't stop me from trying.**

 **Maria Barbara: Don't be sorry, yesterday was actually a really perfect day for me to receive a review. And ahh, I'm so glad you liked it. And as for the Hades and Lia thing, noted. I will try to add more of their interactions in any oneshot that has both of them in it. After all, Hades is a pretty great granddad and needs to show it off**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


	118. Long Live the Queen (Mal)

The sun rose over Auradon, waking its citizens who were anticipating the day with excitement. Within a few hours, people would be lining the streets and be crowded around screens to watch a ceremony that admittedly was much bigger than it probably should've been. Then again, this was Auradon. Small celebrations wasn't really a thing in their culture. Whether it was a wedding, coronation or christening, if it was about the royal family, the whole country celebrated together.

Over in Castle Beast, servants were rushing around, making preparations for the after-party. It was all hands on deck. Only two people in the household were asleep and that was the king and his wife.

However, it didn't stay this way for long. Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, declaring the time to be seven o'clock. The king cracked open an eye. He smiled at the sight of his wife's slumbering form. The blanket had slipped slightly, so her bare shoulders were showing. He couldn't really help himself as he smiled and leaned down, placing a small kiss on the back of her shoulder, the gentle brush of lips causing her to give a little tired hum and roll over, her eyes fluttering open. The sight of her husband looking down at her caused her to smile.

"Hey," she half-whispered, her voice thick with sleep.

"Morning, beautiful," the honey-brown-haired man replied, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her towards him. Her purple hair was dishevelled and all over the place and her green eyes were a little glazed over as she tried to blink the sleep from them. The man brushed some hair out of her face and proceeded to kiss her gently.

"Ben," the woman giggled, pulling away from him, "We're not on our honeymoon any more. We need to get ready for work. I'm pretty sure we have something important today," she said, scrunching her forehead as she tried to remember what she was certain was really important.

Ben just gave a low chuckled and kissed her again, "Whatever it is," he said, before kissing her again, "I'm sure it can wait." He punctuated his sentence with another kiss. "Because right now," He kissed her once more, "I want to be with my wife."

Mal grinned and cupped his cheek in her hand. He lightly pressed his cheek into her palm before turning his head to kiss it. Mal's hand then travelled to the back of his head and threaded itself among his hair. "Well, who am I to deny the king of his wish?" Ben grinned back and rolled them a little so that he was hovering over her.

Slowly, he leaned down, inching forward until their lips were just about to touch.

"Good morning!" Their bedroom door flew open, causing Ben to practically fall onto his back and yank the covers up over him and Mal. Evie was at the doorway, grinning widely.

"Evie!" Mal exclaimed in annoyance, pulling the covers up even further.

When the blue-haired noticed the way they were tugging the covers up, her smile dropped slightly."Oh my gosh." She turned her head away from them, blushing, "Really?"

"Oh, give us a break," Mal said, "We've only been married two weeks and we weren't exactly expecting company."

Evie turned back to them, her eyebrow raised. "Not expecting company? I told you I'd be here at seven!"

Mal narrowed her eyes, "You said you'd be here at seven on the day of my...oh crap." She suddenly face-palmed. "It's my coronation."

"You forgot?" Evie exclaimed when Ben's eyes widened in realisation. "Honestly, you two! It's a wonder you're able to run a country."

Mal clutched the sheets tightly in one hand and threw a pillow at Evie, which she ducked. "Go into the bathroom. We'll leave Ben to get some clothes on so he can go get ready elsewhere whilst you turn this room into a beauty salon."

Ben looked relieved when Evie obeyed. Quickly, gathering up clothes, Ben shoved everything on and went into his wardrobe to grab his official ceremony suit. He then jumped onto the bed and kissed Mal, leaving her grinning and giggling as she shooed him from the room. Finally, when he was gone, Mal put her robe on, gathered some clothes and walked into the bathroom where the shower was already running.

"It should be warm now, go ahead and get in," Evie said, pulling things from the cupboards whilst Mal removed the robe and got into the shower.

After she finished showering, she shaved, blow-dried her hair, stuck it up in a bun and did her usual skincare routine. Once she was dressed, Evie dragged her out of the bathroom and made her quickly eat something before she began doing her hair and make-up.

"I'm scared," Mal admitted, as Evie began putting some make-up on the about-to-be-crowned-queen's face.

"Why?" Evie asked as she continued to concentrate on her work, "I don't think any of our parents are going to come and crash it this time."

Mal gave a weak smile, "I don't mean about the coronation itself," Mal admitted, "I mean, I'm scared of becoming queen. What if I mess up? What if I make a wrong decision and Ben is forced to clean up my mess? What if-"

"Okay, stop," Evie said, putting down her make-up brush, despite not being done. Mal knew that this meant that Evie was serious about what she was going to say. "You are one of the best leaders I know. And that's saying a lot because we used to go to school with literal princes and princesses who were due to take their parents places. Yes, you may make mistakes and maybe Ben will be the one to have to clean up some of them, but I know you well enough to know that you will do everything you can to fix any mistake you make. A good leader doesn't never make mistakes. A good leader, a good _queen_ , admits to making mistakes and does everything in their power to fix them." She then picked up her make-up brush again, "Besides, no point freaking out now. You're technically already the queen. Today is just a formality."

This last bit made Mal laugh a bit. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?" Evie replied with a smirk.

Mal pulled a face at her before relaxing it back to neutral so that Evie could continue working her magic. "It's weird though. Five years ago, the only person whose side I wanted to rule by was my mothers. Now, I couldn't imagine being anything other than Ben's queen."

Evie smiled whilst rolling her eyes, "Yes, our life is ironic and not at all what we thought they were going to be when we arrived in Auradon. I think we've been over it a few times already."

Mal laughed, "Sorry. It just feels so surreal."

"I know." And that was the end of the conversation. Mal sat still as her face became a canvas for Evie's make-up skills. With every stroke of a brush, Mal knew her face was becoming something even more beautiful. Evie had a knack for taking what was natural and enhancing the best bits whilst still making sure it looked as though barely any was being worn.

Mal was very pleased to find that when she looked in the mirror, Evie had done precisely that. Even the gold of her eye-shadow looked almost natural.

"Okay, now for your hair," Evie said, standing behind Mal.

She picked up Mal's hairbrush and began running it through Mal's hair, careful to not tug knots too hard as she came across them. Once she was satisfied that her best friend's hair was thoroughly brushed, Evie began taking her hair in her hands and slowly, with a few twists, pulls and bobby pins, Mal's hair was soon styled in an elegant yet simple up-do. All her hair was pulled away from her face and there were no fancy accessories, as Evie had said that they didn't want to take the attention away from the crown. Mal looked at her reflection, imagining the crown upon her head, and smiled at the idea of it.

"Ready for your dress?" Evie asked, placing her hands on Mal's shoulders. Mal nodded and got up, following Evie into the walk-in closet. Evie opened a door and pulled out the mannequin where Mal's dress hung, ready to be worn. Mal smiled at the sight of it and carefully began to change into it.

After slipping on shoes, gloves and jewellery, Mal turned to face her reflection. The dress was yellow and strapless, with a semi-sweetheart neckline and a layered full-length skirt with a blue hem. Upon the bodice and the skirt were royal blue designs made of lace, not unlike the ones on her Cotillion dress, pre-dragon. In fact, the whole dress seemed to be a ball-gown version of that particular dress. Just like that day, Mal was once more wearing a cape, the laser-cut leather around her shoulders keeping it in place. The cape itself was gold and stretched out behind her so that she had a train of a couple inches. Her fingerless gloves were golden and stretched to her elbow, the outer arm covered in the same blue lace that decorated her dress. Her shoes were short, yellow combat boots with a small heel. She also wore two simple blue studs in her ears, her wedding ring, engagement ring and Ben's signet ring on her fingers, and a golden bracelet shaped like a dragon eating its own tail. The bracelet had been one of Dizzy's designs and was made out of bits and pieces that she'd put together and spray painted gold. It was there as a little reminder that she may be about to become the queen of Auradon, but inside, she was still a VK and still a dragon.

Evie came up behind Mal and placed her hands and chin on her shoulders. "Oh, Evie, I look..." she was at a loss for words.

Evie grinned, "Not hideous?"

Mal laughed, "I was going to say amazing. But yeah. Not hideous." She then leaned her head on top of Evie's.

Evie squeezed Mal's shoulders then straightened up. "I texted Ben and asked him to give me two hours to get you ready so he'll be here in about ten minutes."

Mal nodded, "Yeah, okay." She looked over her shoulder at Evie and smiled softly, which Evie returned.

As promised, Ben was back in the room within ten minutes and found Mal stood in the middle of their room, chatting to Evie who was putting away make-up. He took a few moments to stand and admire Mal, who was looking beautiful as ever, before clearing his throat to alert the girls to his presence.

Mal turned her head at the sound and smiled at the sight of her husband. "Hey," she said softly, reaching out her hand to Ben. Ben quickly walked over to her and entwined his fingers with hers.

"You look..." he took her in for a second more, staring at her with much fondness, "Absolutely gorgeous."

"Thanks," the girls said, simultaneously. The king and queen looked at Evie strangely but she just shrugged.

"What? That's what you say when someone compliments your work."

Mal laughed and turned to Ben, "And you never believed me when I said that she views me as her own personal doll."

Ben smiled, "I guess I was wrong. Okay, the carriages should be here within roughly half an hour, so do you want to go over everything one more time?" he said, uncovering the watch that sat a little under his sleeve.

Mal nodded, "Yeah, I guess so. I just don't get why it has to be so early. Yours wasn't."

"We're adults now, sweetheart," Ben said, "They'll be expecting you to-"

"-be more grown-up and have a proper coronation luncheon as opposed to a wild party like we had for yours. I know."

"Hey, it's okay," Ben said with a smile, "You're still getting the party. It's just not as known about as mine."

Mal nodded, "And it'll be at AP. Just like almost everything leading up to this moment was."

"Luckily you decided to have that one at night as well because otherwise, I would not have had as much time to get all the dresses delivered," Evie piped up, "I only just added the finishing touches to Dizzy's party dress this morning."

Mal gave her a strange look, "How early did you get up?"

"M, it's your coronation. If you think I didn't get up early to make sure everything was perfect, you clearly don't know me."

Before Mal could respond, Evie's phone rang. "Hey," Evie said answering it. "Oh, really? I must've lost track of time. I'm on my way." Evie pulled the phone away from her ear, "Doug's at my place to pick me up. I need to go." The other two nodded and Evie returned to her phone call. "No, Doug, don't go into my sewing room. I turned one of the spare rooms into an office for you so your laptop is in there." She gave Mal a hug as she listened to Doug's response, "Because I've begun making my wedding dress and I don't want you to see it." She brushed invisible dust from Ben's jacket and straightened his crown a little, causing him to roll his eyes. "Yeah, okay, love you too. Bye!" And as she slipped her phone into her pocket, she left whilst waving goodbye.

Once they were alone, Mal reached up and put Ben's crown slightly crooked. "Much better."

Ben laughed and pulled Mal closer to himself. "I guess we should go over what's about to happen one last time, yeah?"

Mal nodded.

Around twenty-five minutes later, with Ben being absolutely certain that Mal had everything down (compared to some countries, their coronations were rather short so there wasn't much to remember), there was a knock at the door.

Ben opened it to find Cogsworth, who refused to retire despite the fact that his age was catching up to him, standing there, looking proud and proper as ever. "The carriages have arrived sir and the cameras are all stationed outside of the castle grounds, prepared to film the two of you."

They thanked him and Ben held out his elbow to Mal. She happily wrapped her fingers around it and allowed him to lead her out of the castle. The carriage was the same as the one that took them to Ben's coronation and Mal smiled at the memory of what happened up there. From Ben asking her to wear his ring to him eating the anti-love potion to him telling her that he hadn't been faking anything. Every second of that ride had been something to cherish, even if at the beginning of it, all Mal was feeling was a broken heart over what she was about to do.

But now, it was her turn. And there were no secrets. No broken hearts. No fear. Now she felt ready to take on the world. To take on the kingdom. Her kingdom. _Their_ kingdom.

Ben helped her into the carriage before stepping into it himself, settling down beside her with a soft smile on his face. Mal took his hand in hers and straightened her back, turning her attention to the front as the carriage began to move forward. Waiting for them behind the gates was not only cameras but hoards of people all cheering and waving banners as the carriage rode by. Mal's smile grew as she lifted her free hand and began waving to all of their subjects. Ben's hand squeezed hers gently, a gesture she quickly returned. Just looking at how many people had turned up to celebrate and cheer her on in what she was about to do made Mal's heart soar. She had expected far less as not only was she _just_ the queen consort but she was also a VK. Now she could see that she had underestimated the people of Auradon. She made a mental note not to make the same mistake twice.

Before she knew it, she'd reached the cathedral and she was being helped out of the carriage. Ben then led her up the steps where they greeted Belle and Adam.

"Good luck in there," Belle said, looking elegant in her pale gold gown. Adam gave Mal a quick wink before he led his wife and son away to take their places and Mal was left to stand inside, just before the double doors that would open as she goes to accept her crown and responsibility to Auradon and its people.

Her breath caught in her throat as the doors opened before her and the music played. Ben was waiting at the end with Fairy Godmother by his side and the crown on a pillow in his hands. She glanced quickly around and spotted her friends dotted around the area and at the front, her in-laws, her father and even her half-brother. Mal's eyes returned to Ben and so she pulled her shoulders back, stood up straight, held her head high and began to walk down the aisle, focusing on making sure she looked elegant and regal as she did so, but also remembering to smile.

As practised, when she reached the altar, she knelt in front of the Fairy Godmother.

She remained there, keeping still as Fairy Godmother took the crown from Ben and placed it on the new queen's head. FG then retrieved the wand.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?"

"I do." And there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Mal meant it as the determination in her voice, despite her soft tone, was easily heard by many.

"Then it is my honour and my joy to bless our new queen." And as she raised the wand to bless Mal, there was an intake in breath from many who were at this point reminded of what happened last time. But this time, all that happened was that the magic sparkled from the wand and surrounded Mal as the blessing came upon her.

"Ladies and gentleman, people of Auradon," Fairy Godmother exclaimed as Mal turned around to face the people. "The Queen Consort of Auradon!"

"Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!" was the response that followed from the people in the cathedral. Then Mal made her way down the aisle, the people bowing and curtsying as she passed. She smiled brightly at each and every one of them, although she had to refrain from laughing out loud as Jay and Carlos both gave exaggerated bows. Once outside, she once more stepped into the carriage and waited for Ben to join her.

The moment Ben was by her side, the carriage began to move and they began their tour of Auradon City, showing off the king and his queen to the citizens. This would be followed by the luncheon and as the sun set, a party at Auradon Prep.

And it was all to celebrate her. The VK who chose good. The girl who defied every expectation. The woman who was now a queen.

 **Voila, Agata! I'm so sorry it took so long. Life got in the way. But it's here now!**

 **Request Count Down: 51**

 **Response to Reviews:**

 **kbear100: Awww, thank you so much!**

 **xez2003: I'm so happy that you liked it! And I think I do. If not, I'm sure I'll be able to slip in some granddaddy Hades somewhere.**

 **bellafever23: As much as I'd love to, I'm afraid the requests are closed so I won't be taking any more requests.**

 **Star Wars and Skillet: I'm so glad you like them! And there should be but it may be a while.**

 **Thu: Aww, thank you so much! That makes me really happy that you think so :)**

 **pmbb: Thank you! It means a lot that you like the way I write those relationships.**

 **Unknown: I'm glad you like Mal and Hades relationship in this. But the requests are closed so I won't be able to do your request.**

 **Grace: Yay! I'm so pleased that you loved it :D**

 **DragonEmperor999: Yes Mal is going to be a mother and no, it won't be twins. It's going to be Lia. Bal's oldest child in every oneshot I've ever written about their children?**

 **Tracie: There are more coming but it may take some time so be patient with me.**

 **MacKenna Staley: (14) Glad you thought so :)**

 **Love you all so, so much!**

 **SparkyGurl**

 **P.S. Please don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism. It helps me.**


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